Residents of even the tiniest far-flung villages in China may soon be able to pay on their phones to run daily errands as Beijing announced this month that it aims to make mobile payments ubiquitous in rural areas by the end of 2020.

The plan arrived in a set of guidelines (document link in Chinese) jointly published by five of China’s top regulating bodies, including the central bank, the Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the Securities Regulatory Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in a move to make online financial services more accessible to rural residents.

The hope is that by digitizing the lives of the farming communities, from getting loans to buy fertilizers to leasing lands to city developers, China could bolster the economy in smaller cities and countryside hamlets. Hundreds of millions of rural Chinese have migrated to large urban centers pursuing dreams and higher-paying jobs, but 42 percent of the national population remained rural as of 2017. While scan-to-pay is already a norm in bigger cities, digital payments still have considerable room to grow in rural towns. All told, 76.9 percent of China’s adults used digital payments in 2017. That ratio was 66.5 percent in rural parts, according to a report released by the central bank.

Following the digital payments pledge was the release of the annual Number One Document (in Chinese) that outlines China’s national priorities for the year. Over the past 16 years, China has devoted the paper to its rural economy and this year, digital integration continues to be one of the key goals. More precisely, Beijing wants rural officials to ramp up internet penetration, the digitization of public services, sales of rural produce to city consumers, and more.

Those directives usher in huge opportunities for companies in the private sector. Tech heavyweights such as Alibaba and JD.com were already looking outside megacities a few years ago. Both have set up online channels enabling farmers to sell and buy as well as working with local governments to build up logistics networks.

Alibaba notably invested in Huitongda, a company that provides merchandising, marketing and supply chain tools to rural retail outlets. Despite posting the slowest revenue growth in three years, Alibaba saw exceptional user growth in rural regions. Similarly, JD’s daily orders from smaller Tier 3 and 4 cities were growing 20 percent faster than those in Tier 1 and 2 cities like Beijing and Hangzhou, the company said in 2017.

Other players went with a rural and small-town play early on. Pinduoduo, an emerging ecommerce startup that’s close on the heels of Alibaba and JD, gained a first-mover advantage in these less developed regions by touting cheap goods. Kuaishou, a Tencent-backed video app that rivals TikTok’s Chinese version Douyin, has proven popular in the hinterlands as farmers embrace the app to showcase the country life and sell produce through live streaming.

Launching from IDW’s May 2018 is They Called Us Enemy, a graphic biographical comic by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott and Harmony Becker, from Top Shelf Comix and very much in the tradition of John Lewis‘ March.

This is advance-solicited for July – so expect a big San Diego Comic-Con presence for Takei. It is also followed by their first licensed Spider-Man Two In One, written by classic Spider-Man writer Peter David.

There’s a new series, Candlestick, by Dash Shaw. And a new 50s Siberia-set series, Road Of Bones by Rich Douek and Alex Cormack.

And a new My Little Pony series by Ted Anderson and Brenda Hickey called Spirit Of The Forest.

George Takei has captured hearts and minds worldwide with his captivating stage presence and outspoken commitment to equal rights. But long before he braved new frontiers in Star Trek, he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father’s—and their entire family forced from their home into an uncertain future.

In a stunning graphic memoir, Takei revisits his haunting childhood in American concentration camps, as one of over 100,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon—and America itself—in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love.

Two classic Spider-Man tales, pulled from the legendary Vault of Heroes! First—a chance encounter with the Enchantress pits Spidey against Thor—with the whole of Asgard right behind! Then, when Flash Thompson gets a bite from a werewolf, Spidey seeks the aid of the sorcerer supreme—Doctor Strange!

FC • 48 pages • $4.99

Marvel Action: Black Panther #5

Vita Ayala (w) • Arianna Florean (a & c)

When one of the Black Panther’s advisers suffers an injury during an attack, the adviser requests the aid of a traditional healer over modern medicine. Shuri scoffs at the idea, but soon a curse forces her on an epic quest, but nothing is as it seems. All-new action in the Mighty Marvel Manner!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

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Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Ashley A. Woods!

Bullet points:

● A new arc continues with rising star Vita Ayala on board as writer!

Marvel Action: Black Panther: Stormy Weather (Book One)—SPOTLIGHT

Kyle Baker (w) • Juan Samu (a & c)

A marvelous new era begins here! Readers of all ages can get lost in the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda. Follow the all-new adventures of its monarch, the Black Panther! King T’Challa is responsible for defending his people–and the world–from any threats and he gets plenty of help, and sass, from his genius sister Shuri. Collects issues #1–3.

TPB • FC • $9.99 • 80 pages • 6” x 9” • ISBN: 978-1-68405-517-3

Bullet points:

Advance solicited for July release!

From the mind of multiple Eisner Award and Harvey Award winner Kyle Baker!

Sonic the Hedgehog #17—Cover A: Jack Lawrence

Ian Flynn (w) • Tracy Yardley (a) • Jack Lawrence (c)

“Plague!” As the infection spreads across a helpless city, the Chaotix Detective Agency stands alone against the horde. Will even the world’s fastest hedgehog be quick enough to provide back-up, or will the city fall?

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Sonic the Hedgehog #17—Cover B: Jamal Peppers

Ian Flynn (w) • Tracy Yardley (a) • Jamal Peppers (c)

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

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Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Nathalie Fourdraine!

A powerful new foe has set his sights on Angel Island, and Sonic and his friends must defend it at all costs! When Neo Metal Sonic–an evil robot with Sonic’s speed, Dr. Eggman’s intellect, and an unbreakable mechanical body–conquers the island to grow his power even more, Sonic and his friends must team up and take the fight to him. But even with the full power of the Resistance behind him, will Sonic be able to take down Neo Metal Sonic once and for all? Collects Sonic the Hedgehog issues #9–12.

TPB • FC • $15.99 • 96 pages • ISBN: 978-1-68405-498-5

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Advance solicited for July release!

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Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 1 • FC • $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-327-8

Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 2 • FC • $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-406-0

Team Sonic Racing Plus Deluxe Turbo Championship Edition one-shot

Caleb Goellner (w) • Adam Bryce Thomas (a) • Sega (c)

When the evil Dr. Eggman invites himself to Dodon Pa’s tournament, it’s up to Sonic and his friends to race into action—again! Re-presenting the hit one-shot Team Sonic Racing, the Plus Deluxe Turbo Championship Edition is so jam-packed with goodies, we had to give it a name worthy of its extras! Reprints Team Sonic Racing plus a new guide to the Wisp power-ups, a glossary of Team Moves, a gallery of in-game tracks, and commentary by writer Caleb Goellner!

FC • 48 pages • $5.99

Bullet points:

Releasing just in time for the launch of the exciting new game, Team Sonic Racing!

The ultimate collector’s edition for fans of Sonic games and comics!

Star Wars Adventures #22—Cover A: Elsa Charretier

Elsa Charretier & Pierrick Colinet (w) • Elsa Charretier (a & c)

After losing the man she loves to a bounty hunter, Princess Leia embarks on a dangerous mission with R2-D2 and C-3PO in this exciting tale set just after The Empire Strikes Back!

A galaxy-spanning adventure tracking Han Solo’s renowned light freighter in a series of tales highlighting its illustrious history, starring Chewie, Luke, Leia, and more! Follow Bazine Netal’s quest for the legendary Millennium Falcon! The First Order spy travels the galaxy seeking information on the ship’s whereabouts. Along the way she will hear tales from some familiar faces–and some new ones–hot on the trail of the fastest ship in the galaxy! Collects the “Flight of the Falcon” story from Star Wars Adventures #14–18, plus the Flight of the Falcon one-shot.

TPB • FC • $9.99 • 80 pages • 6” x 9” • ISBN: 978-1-68405-499-2

Bullet points:

Advance solicited for July release!

Offered Again!

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 1 • FC • $9.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-205-9

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 2 • FC • $9.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-169-4

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 3 • FC • $9.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-249-3

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 4 • FC • $9.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-344-5

Star Wars Adventures Annual 2019—SPOTLIGHT

Cavan Scott (w) • Mauricet (a) • Stan Sakai (c)

A daring rescue mission leads Lando—and his new friend Jaxxon—to the seat of Imperial power, where they must recover an important artifact that will inspire a planet to drive the Empire from their home.

FC • 48 pages • $7.99

Bullet points:

Special feature-length tale starring Lando and Jaxxon!

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #78—Cover A: Andy Price

Katie Cook & Andy Price (w) • Andy Price (a & c)

The thrilling conclusion to the “Cosmos” story arc is here! With the most powerful ponies in Equestria under Cosmos’ control, do the remaining ponies stand a chance? And whose side will Discord take?

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #78—Cover B: Sara Richard

Katie Cook & Andy Price (w) • Andy Price (a) • Sara Richard (c)

*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Brenda Hickey!

Bullet points:

Don’t miss the end of what might be Katie Cook and Andy Price’s finest MLP story yet!

Adapting the most beloved My Little Pony animated cartoon episodes to graphic novels! Revisit the inhabitants of Equestria and learn about the magic that friendship brings in this adaptation of the television series’ seventh season premiere! This volume adapts two episodes, “Celestial Advice” and “All Bottled Up,” in an original graphic novel.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders are back! When Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle take a trip into the woods, they find a forest filled with trash! Just what could be causing this mess?! Looks like it’s another mystery for our favorite fillies to solve—and one where not everything is as it seems…

It’s the final issue of the latest Tangled miniseries, but saying goodbye to Rapunzel and her friends has never been this fun! It’s a special art-themed issue as we present two stories guaranteed to fire up your creative spirit. In “Framed,” Rapunzel discovers how art not only imitates life, but takes on a life of its own in a very unexpected way! Then, in “Picture Perfect,” Maximus and Pascal unleash their inner artists—with unique and delightful results!

Rapunzel and her friends are back for more adventures and more heartwarming stories written by fan-favorite Katie Cook! What will Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, and their friends get up to in the kingdom of Corona this time? Find out in six stories you’ll read over and over again! Collects Tangled: The Series: Hair-Raising Adventures #1-3.

It’s time for more stories featuring your favorite DuckTales characters! First up, Scrooge and the kids meet Huge McDuck, another billionaire who claims to be a long-lost relative! But can he be trusted? Then, Gladstone Gander takes Donald’s place on Scrooge’s next adventure! Will he prove to be a good luck charm, or even more accident-prone than Donald? After that, Scrooge, Donald, Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby deal with the “Countdown to Termination” and hit the ice in “The Mighty Ducks of Duckburg!” Finally, there are monsters up to no good in a two-part tale of scary times in Duckburg! Join our friends as they realize that “The Monsters Are Due at Duck Manor!” Collects DuckTales #12-14.

Three stories never-before-seen in the U.S. await you in another fun-filled issue! In “Mickey Mouse and the Hydrophilic Monsters,” Mickey and Goofy encounter plant life like they—or you—have never seen before! Then, in “Pluto and the ‘Super’ Day,” what happens when Goofy dog-sits Mickey’s beloved pup? Why, nothing less than the unexpected! Finally, in “Shhh,” Peg-Leg Pete and his accomplice encounter more than they bargained for in a robbery gone very wrong!

FC • 48 pages • $5.99

Uncle Scrooge #45

Francesco Artibani (w) • Alessandro Perina (a) • Marco Gervasio (c)

When one of Gyro Gearloose’s inventions allows Donald Duck to “hear” what his plants are saying, Uncle Scrooge gets one of his biggest money-fueled ideas ever. But in true Scrooge fashion, the road to riches is anything but smooth—in fact, it’s downright magical! Find out how in “The Captain’s Sequoia!”

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FC • 36 pages • $4.99

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Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Alessandro Perina!

Big Hero 6: The Series #2

Joe Caramagna (w) • Nicoletta Baldari (a) • Gurihiru (c)

Join Hiro, Wasabi, Fred, Go Go, Honey Lemon, and Baymax for new adventures, new friends, and new adversaries as the Big Hero 6 team continues to fight to protect San Fransokyo!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Nicoletta Baldari!

Bullet points:

Based on the hit Disney Channel series!

Join Hiro, Wasabi, Fred, Go Go, Honey Lemon and Baymax for new adventures, new friends, and new adversaries as the Big Hero 6 team continues to fight to protect San Fransokyo!

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #2—Cover A: Adam Bryce Thomas

Paul Allor (w) • Adam Bryce Thomas (a & c)

“Samurai Jack and the Empty Village!” As Jack travels through lonely mountain roads, he’s warned to turn back lest he disturb a haunted village. Of course, Jack’s never one to shy from danger, so he continues forward. But maybe some things are better left undisturbed…

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Samurai Jack: Lost Worlds #2—Cover B: Gavin Fullerton

Paul Allor (w) • Adam Bryce Thomas (a) • Gavin Fullerton (c)

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Sara Pitre-Durocher!

Bullet points:

A new Samurai Jack adventure in every issue!

Goosebumps: Horrors of the Witch House #3

Denton Tipton & Matthew Dow Smith (w) • Chris Fenoglio (a & c)

Rosie and her friends are in the witch’s clutches, and if they want to save themselves (not to mention the entire town), they’ll have to figure out a way to stop her most powerful spell before it’s too late! Friendships will be tested and secrets will be revealed in this stunning conclusion.

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Megan Levens!

Bullet points:

Fun all-ages scares in that classic Goosebumps fashion!

With over 400 million books in print, Goosebumps is one of the best-selling book series ever!

Atomic Robo and the Dawn of a New Era—CERTIFIED COOL

Brian Clevinger (w) • Scott Wegener (a & c)

The action continues… or does it, as Robo shifts to the more quiet side of life! No more sci-fi catastrophes! This is now a quiet series about the charming antics and sitcom misunderstandings that happen at a boarding school for future action scientists. Also, Robo’s hiding a secret AI son in the basement… No way that could cause any trouble.

Dick Tracy is Sisyphus, pushing the law boulder up the hill as he struggles for reason and order in a world with none. His attempts at law and order are met with crime and chaos, in the form of unpredictable and absurd villains. But Dick Tracy will never give up trying, no matter the era or incarnation. Join Eisner Award-winning creator Michael Avon Oeming on a startling case through time and space!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Michael Avon Oeming!

Match 85% of your orders of the previous issue and receive your order fully returnable!

Bullet points:

From the mind of Eisner Award-winner Michael Avon Oeming, co-creator of Powers!

Each issue has an exciting new take on one of the most iconic comic-strip heroes of all time!

GLOW #3

Tini Howard (w) • Hannah Templer (a & c)

The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling quickly realize that there’s no way they’re going to be able to beat these real, muscle-y professional wrestlers! With morale low, Ruth has to come up with a new plan, and she’s going to make sure they win—even if they have to lose!

*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Nicoletta Baldari!

Order 25 copies and get one free variant cover by Jenn St-Onge!

Bullet points:

Based on the hit Netflix show!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 35th Anniversary Box Set—SPOTLIGHT

Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman (w & a) • Kevin Eastman (c)

Revisit the glorious origins of the TMNT during the 35th anniversary month! This special box set includes Mirage Publishing’s TMNT #1-4 and the Raphael Micro-Series at their original 8 ⅜” x 10 ⅞” dimensions enclosed in a box with new art from TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. A must-have for all shell-heads!

FC • 188 pages • $49.99

TMNT: Shredder in Hell #4—Cover A: Mateus Santolouco

Mateus Santolouco (w & a & c)

Oroku Saki faces the Dragon! With demons closing in on every side, the Shredder faces the truth about the world’s primal forces, the mysterious Pantheon, and his own soul!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

TMNT: Shredder in Hell #4—Cover B: Kevin Eastman

Mateus Santolouco (w & a) • Kevin Eastman (c)

*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Marcelo Costa!

Bullet points:

Fan-favorite artist Mateus Santolouco returns to the world of TMNT!

The most infamous villain in the TMNT universe gets his own mini-series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #94—Cover A: Dave Wachter

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Dave Wachter (a & c)

“City at War, Part 2.” As battle lines are drawn in the criminal underworld of New York City, Old Hob takes his mission to the next level, and he’ll have unexpected help from one of the TMNT!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #94—Cover B: Kevin Eastman

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Dave Wachter (a) • Kevin Eastman

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Andy Kuhn!

Bullet points:

Escalating danger and new twists!

Features an exciting legacy incentive cover from Andy Kuhn!

TMNT: Urban Legends #13—Cover A: Frank Fosco

Gary Carlson (w) • Frank Fosco (a & c)

The search for Deathwatch continues! The infamous killer’s trail leads Leo, Mikey, and a robotic Donatello to Sheldon, Arkansas, where they find themselves face-to-face with more murderous mayhem. Meanwhile, Raph, back home in New York, makes a chilling discover during his duel with the mob. Could it be… Shredder’s inner sanctum?!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

TMNT: Urban Legends #13—Cover B: Frank Fosco & Erik Larsen

Gary Carlson (w) • Frank Fosco (a) • Frank Fosco & Erik Larsen

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Kevin Eastman!

Bullet points:

The entire TMNT Volume 3 run—all 23 issues—reprinted in full color for the first time!

Culminating in 3 brand new issues to close out the series!

Gears of War: Hivebusters #3 (of 5)

Kurtis Wiebe (w) • Alan Quah (a & c)

As Team Scorpio presses on toward Mac’s hometown, they also begin to uncover more about his painful past. But with emotions running high, will the team be able to give it their all once they uncover the lurking Swarm? The Hivebusting action continues here!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by TBD!

Bullet points:

A new Gears of War mission from Kurtis Wiebe, the writer of the hit Rise of RAAM miniseries!

With over 30 million copies sold and 50 million+ unique users, Gears of War is one of the most successful game franchises of all time.

Narcos #2

Ryan Ferrier (w) • Vic Malhotra (a & c)

Murphy and Pena clash with their new partners’ irregular methods while a drug kingpin makes a play for control of Medellin’s drug network! Meanwhile, an attempt on El Patrón’s life makes him rethink who he can trust.

Contents include 10 prints featuring modern era cover art from the G.I. Joe comic book line!

Must-have for old and new collectors alike!

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #264—Cover A: Netho Diaz

Larry Hama (w) • Netho Diaz (a & c)

G.I. Joe battles for justice, liberty, and freedom around the globe, and with the evil terrorist organization known as Cobra slithering around every corner, the stakes have never been higher! Living Legend Larry Hama and superstar artist Netho Diaz continue the latest explosive arc of… G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #264—Cover B: Dan Fraga

Larry Hama (w) • Netho Diaz (a) • Dan Fraga (c)

*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Tim Lattie (Ghostbusters)!

The investigation into the mystery of Cybertron’s first murder continues! Windblade closes in on answers, Rubble finds a job that suits him, and Bumblebee… well, Bumblebee has a secret that could lead to chaos.

Optimus takes the spotlight! Even a bot as wise as a leader of the Autobots needs guidance now and again, so Optimus turns to Codexa—a Cybertronian who has grown into the very planet itself. Will she help Optimus settle his problems with Megatron or will she lead them both to ruin?

All your favorite Transformers characters as you’ve never seen them before!

Star Trek: The Q Conflict #5—Cover A: David Messina

Scott Tipton & David Tipton (w) • David Messina (a & c)

The contest for the ages continues as the Captains race to capture the one exotic creature that Trelane is missing from his intergalactic menagerie—a Borg Queen! But as the Godlike beings revel in the games, the crews are hatching a plan of their own. Don’t miss the penultimate issue of the biggest Star Trek crossover of all time!

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FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Star Trek: The Q Conflict #5—Cover B: David Messina

Scott Tipton & David Tipton (w) • David Messina (a & c)

*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by George Caltsoudas!

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The crews of The Next Generation, The Original Series, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine come together to face their biggest challenge yet!

As the last year of their original mission begins, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise will have to use all of the skills they’ve acquired along the way as they prepare to face the biggest challenge of their lives—a dark threat that doesn’t just threaten their existence, but the existence of the entire Federation as well…

The classic crew is back in all-new stories featuring your favorite characters from the Original Series!

CLUE: Candlestick #1—Cover A: Dash Shaw

Dash Shaw (w & a & c)

All of your favorite suspicious characters are back in this new brain twister based on the timeless detective game. Ripe with puzzles, secrets, and lies, in CLUE: CANDLESTICK everyone’s a suspect! Cartoonist auteur Dash Shaw unleashes his murderous imagination on the quirky, thrilling and mysterious world of Clue!

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FC • 36 pages • $4.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies, get one free “triptych” variant cover by Dash Shaw!

Order 20 copies, get one free variant cover by Jed McGowan!

Bullet points:

From the creative mind that brought you the animated movie, My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea!

Visionary creator Dash Shaw re-imagines the world of Clue in this suspense-filled, murder mystery!

Each extra-length issue also features brand new Clue game cards based on the comic!

Amber Blake #4

Jade Lagardère (w) • Butch Guice (a & c)

Amber Blake has finally found the person responsible for all of the pain in her life—and there’s no way she’s letting him get away again. But nothing is as it seems, and when the people closest to her betray her, she’ll have to use all of her skills to get out alive—and to get the vengeance she’s longed for.

*Retailers: See your order form for incentive information.

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Retailer incentives:

Order 10 copies and get one free variant cover by Catherine Nodet!

Ghost Tree #2

Bobby Curnow (w) • Simon Gane (a & c)

Brandt discovers more about his family’s past as he reels from a surprise return of someone that played a pivotal part in his life. Meanwhile, a malevolent creature begins to stalk the departed denizens of the Ghost Tree…

In 1953, the Siberian Gulag of Kolyma is hell on Earth—which is why Roman Morozov leaps at the chance to escape it. But even if they make it out, Roman and his fellow escapees still have hundreds of miles of frozen tundra between them and freedom. With the help of a mysterious being straight out of his childhood fairy tale stories, Roman just might make it—or is the being simply a manifestation of his brutal circumstances driving him insane?

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

From writer Rich Douek (Gutter Magic) and artist Alex Cormack (Sink), Road of Bones will carve a path of unrelenting dread right into your heart.

Horror, history, and Russian folklore collide in this brutal survival tale, where the worst prison in the world is merely the gateway to even darker horrors.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Roy Thomas (w) • Mike Mignola (a & c)

The comics adaptation based on the film from Columbia Pictures (Sony) and Zoetrope Studios returns with all-new colors. Mike Mignola is one of the most popular comic book artists of the past thirty years, known for such important works as Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, Cosmic Odyssey, and, of course, Hellboy. Considered to be among Mignola’s greatest works, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was his last project before Hellboy launched and was originally released as a full-color four issue adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 movie.

The King of the Monsters rises again, and he’s bringing lots of other beloved Toho monsters with him in one destructive saga! When Godzilla appears off the coast of Japan, the Japanese government must respond quickly to contain the disaster… but before long, other monsters begin appearing all over the world. Can humanity survive this mysterious onslaught of giant beasts? Featuring Anguirus, Battra, Destroyah, Gigan, Hedorah, King Ghidorah, Kumonga, Mechagodzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Spacegodzilla, and Titanosaurus. Collects the entire 12-issue series for the first time.

TPB • FC • $29.99 • 304 pages • ISBN: 978-1-68405-533-3

Bullet points:

Advance solicited for July release!

Godzilla: King of Monsters is slated to hit theaters in May 2019!

Offered Again!

Godzilla: Oblivion • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-733-8

Godzilla: Rage Across Time • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-853-3

Wynonna Earp: Bad Day at Black Rock—SPOTLIGHT

Beau Smith & Tim Rozon (w) • Chris Evenhuis (a & c)

There’s a prison break at Black Rock and it’s a family affair! Wynonna Earp, descendant of the legendary gunslinger Wyatt Earp, and her whole family are members of the U.S. Marshals Black Badge Division–a unit dedicated to protecting the world from all things that go bump in the night. Two of their greatest assets in the fight against evil are the Division’s relative secrecy and Black Rock Prison, the only facility capable of holding major paranormal threats, and both were just exposed. That means it’s time for Bobo Del Rey, Wynonna’s old enemy, to step up his plans on a breakout to free his brother. It’s family against family as the Earp clan and the Del Reys go head-to-head in a rip-roaring, knock-down, drag out fight to escape the Bad Day at Black Rock.

An incredible artbook showcasing some of the greatest comic artists of all time! Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Jim Steranko, Don Heck, John Byrne, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Severin, Wally Wood, John Romita, and many more!

As part of the tremendous fun of Silver Age comics, artists created pin-ups of the most popular Marvel heroes and villains! Now the greatest of those works of art are gathered for the first time in a beautiful large-format hardback book! Included are rare examples of original art of The Thing, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange.

Peter S. Beagle’s beloved fantasy classic captured imaginations around the world, and takes on new life in this luscious, fully illustrated graphic novel adaptation. The Last Unicorn is a tale for any age about the wonders of magic, the power of love, and the tragedy of loss. The unicorn, alone in her enchanted wood, learns that she may be the last of her kind. Reluctant at first, she sets out on a journey to discover the fate of her fellow unicorns, even if it means facing the terrifying anger of the Red Bull and the malignant evil of the king who wields its power. Along the way she’ll encounter a cast of unforgettable characters, including Schmendrick the magician, the bandit Molly Grue, the noble Prince Lír, and the occasional talking butterfly.

TPB • FC • $14.99 • 168 pages • 6” x 9” • ISBN: 978-1-68405-494-7

Bullet points:

Advance solicited for July release!

All-new format perfect for YA readers.

LOAC Essentials, Vol. 13: Charlie Chan, 1938

Alfred Andriola (w & a & c)

As a famed hero of the mystery novels by Earl Derr Biggers, Inspector Charlie Chan reached even greater heights in a series of popular movies. As actor Sidney Toler was preparing to replace Warner Oland as the wily police detective in 1938, Alfred Andriola was tapped to create a newspaper strip version of the character. The pride of the Honolulu Police Department uses his intellect more than his fists to solve cases of international intrigue, and the syndicate’s initial promotion called Charlie Chan “a new mystery strip, totally devoid of guns and gangsters” to separate it from Dick Tracy and his many hard-boiled imitators. Featuring the first complete year of daily strips, from October 1938 to November 1939, this volume offers readers exciting adventures, snappy dialogue, and arresting art.

A key early work from the creator of the long-running detective series Kerry Drake presented in a format that is as close as one can get to experiencing it as a daily comic.

From Hell: Master Edition #5 (Top Shelf)

Alan Moore (w) • Eddie Campbell (a & c)

“Love is enough.” As his pace of murder accelerates—twice in one night—the increasingly unhinged Dr. Gull leaves an ominous message.

Five unsolved murders. Two of the greatest creators in the history of comics. One sprawling conspiracy, one metropolis on the brink of the 20th century, and one bloody-minded Ripper ushering London into the modern age of terror. The award-winning bestseller FROM HELL, often ranked among the greatest graphic novels of all time, takes on haunting new dimensions in FROM HELL: The Master Edition, enhanced with impressionistic hues by Eddie Campbell himself.

This volume contains Chapter 5, as well as all the original annotations.

FC • 72 pages • $7.99

Bullet points:

“My all-time favorite graphic novel… an immense, majestic work about the Jack the Ripper murders, the dark Victorian world they happened in, and the birth of the 20th century.”—Warren Ellis, Entertainment Weekly

Experience FROM HELL as never before: fully restored and in color for the first time.

Why Did We Trust Him? (Top Shelf)

Shannon Wheeler (w & a & c)

Hot off Sh*t My President Says, Shannon Wheeler unloads a new set of top notch cartoons in this premium collection. Instead of lampooning the President, Wheeler demonstrates what won him a couple of Eisner Awards with a more personal set of single panel comics. Relationships, social norms, cats, dogs, food, and Wheeler himself are all targets of his urbane wit. It’s a gem of a book.

HC • B&W • $14.99 • 120 pages • 5” x 6-1/2” • ISBN: 978-1-60309-453-5

Bullet points:

Advance solicited for August release!

The Eisner Award-winning wit of Shannon Wheeler breaks hilarious new ground in a handsome new collection.

Offered Again!

Apocrypha Now • BW • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60309-369-9

Sh*t My President Says • BW • $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60309-410-8

Nocturne: The Walled City Trilogy (Book Two) (Top Shelf)

Anne Opotowsky (w) • Angie Hoffmeister (a & c)

In 1905, a child is kidnapped and brought to Hong Kong, growing into a clever and reckless young man looking for answers. In the 1930s, the British are shaping that island into the free-trade playground for which it will soon become famous… while China’s internal strife borders on chaos. The eccentricities of Hong Kong rub off on everyone, the greed is more palpable, the lust and caution herd on both the young and old.

Within the Walled City itself, the population has grown by leaps and bounds, despite attempts to clear them out. Both the British and the Chinese now declare it a lawless ghetto, a legal No Man’s Land… so the city evolves into an astonishing world of its own. In this chaotic yet harmonious world, the three boys from Book One—Song, Xi, and Yubo—are finding three very different ways to become men.

Abductions, obsessions, refugees, and star-crossed lovers intertwine throughout this staggeringly ambitious and gorgeously illustrated saga… while the undercurrents of power, manipulation, and loss begin to show terrible cracks in the walls.

Eve Stranger can do anything thanks to the nanotech that she has to inject every week to stay alive… anything except remember who she is or where she’s been. Her talents sold by the shadowy E.V.E. Project to the highest bidder, Eve’s latest mission finds her on the run in Pamplona, Spain. High-octane adventure, weird science, and doomed romance meet the jet-set in “Retrograde”!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bullet points:

High-octane thrills!

Weird science!

Doomed romance!

“Nonstop and unforgettable!”—Anyone with a pulse

Punks Not Dead: London Calling #4 (Black Crown)

David Barnett (w) • Martin Simmonds (a & c)

Butch and Sundance! Bonnie and Clyde! Laurel and Hardy! History is littered with great double acts, but the ultimate boy-meets-ghost odd couple is no more as Fergie and Sid go their separate ways. While Sid heads off to look up old mates, Fergie finally meets his dad in London Calling: “To the Imitation Zone.”

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Walter Simonson Star Wars Artist’s Edition

Various (w) • Walter Simonson & Tom Palmer (a) • Walter Simonson (c)

Comics legends Walter Simonson and Tom Palmer collaborated on a wonderful run of Star Wars comics in the early 1980s, before the release of The Empire Strikes Back. Like all Artist’s Editions, each page has been meticulously scanned from the original art (from the personal archives of both artists) and presented at 100 percent of actual size.

Defeat the Batman to rule the city! Gotham City’s coffers are ripe for the robbing, but one thing stands in the way of the city’s supervillains—the reviled Batman. It’s time someone finally took out that nuisance! Choose your favorite villain, then go on crime sprees, steal powerful upgrades, recruit nefarious accomplices, and race to complete your master plan and be the first to defeat the World’s Greatest Detective.

Aliens exist! In Men In Black: Undercover, you’ll join one of three groups: the Men In Black, who work to hide aliens, the Shadow Government, who seek to capture and weaponize aliens, and the Conspiracy Theorists, who try to expose alien life. Join a side and influence the aliens to join your cause, but don’t reveal your true intentions—you’ll need to stay Undercover to win!

When most of the Leaf Village ninja are out on various missions, it has fallen to a small handful of ninja to protect the village! Together, the members of Team 7 and a couple of their close friends will attempt to turn back the invaders. They are the last line of defense, and they must not fall!

You’ll need to divide in order to conquer in Amoeba, the tile-laying game that requires you to think strategically and act microscopically. 2-4 players draw and place tiles in order to build the biggest amoebas. But be careful: your opponents can place tiles on top of your completed amoebas to split them up and hurt your score. After all tiles are played, the player with the biggest amoeba wins!

There's been a lot of speculation about Annette Bening's role in Captain Marvel, and a newly released clip from the movie finally confirms her identity. Is she who we all suspected? Check it out here...

We probably won't see another Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer until after Avengers: Endgame hits theaters, but a new Japanese poster for the movie is in equal parts spectacular and amazing. Check it out!

Jussie Smollett betrayed the trust of his "Empire" coworkers and damaged the show's image, and now several cast members want him written off immediately ... according to our sources. We're told many of the "Empire" actors are "f**king furious" and…

Jake and Holt discover a spy in their midst in another hilarious episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

This Brooklyn Nine-Nine review contains spoilers.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 Episode 7

After a couple of one-off episodes, this week found Brooklyn Nine-Nine getting back to this season’s over-arching plot this year, Captain Holt’s battle against commissioner John Kelly. After shutting down the first floor in the 99th precinct at the beginning of this season, the conflict between Holt and Kelly has largely receded to the background, barring the occasional image of the overcrowded workspace. Thankfully, Brooklyn Nine-Nine handles its standalone installments with the same craft and care that it puts into its slightly serialized fare, so it’s not a problem spending time away from the main story, but it certainly is nice to see it back in focus.

If the episode’s title, “The Honeypot” wasn’t a giveaway, the episode centers on Holt and Peralta discovering that a honeypot has been set into the precinct by John Kelly to seduce Holt and eventually public embarrass him. Still trying to replace Gina, Holt is burning through assistants that don’t live up to his ridiculous standards. Having been the one to find Gina, Peralta volunteers to find Holt’s new assistant, in a mission that he dubs Operation N.A.S.T.Y. (New Assistant Selection Team, You!). When he brings in Gordon Lunt (Deadpool’s Karan Soni), a young man who’s equally as ridged and formal as Holt, Peralta believes he’s found the perfect fit. Holt disagrees, sensing that Gordon is flirting with him due to, among other things, his Single Windsor tie knot.

I’ve written about this in the past, but Peralta/Holt stories are always my favorite because of their odd couple nature and how Jake has increasingly been pushed to being the straight man to Holt’s irregular behavior. Here it looks like Holt is being ridiculous, but once Peralta does some digging, he realizes that Gordon lied about his past job experience on his resume and eventually discovers a photo of him working in John Kelly’s precinct. Peralta deducts that Gordon is a spy meant to retrieve the list of names that Holt is gathering of fellow captains that oppose Kelly. And just like that, Operation D.R.A.G.O.N. (Don’t Reveal Anything Gordon’s Our Nemesis) is afoot.

Peralta tries to steal information from Gordon’s computer when Gordon is forced to check his bag while he and Holt visit a museum, but nothing is found. However, out of the blue Gordon reveals that yes, he is a spy, but now he’s fallen in love with Holt and refuses to follow through with Kelly’s plan. Peralta pushes for Holt to use Gordon as a double agent against Kelly and wear a wire in a meeting where he and Kelly discuss the honeypot plan, but Holt is hesitant, afraid that the plan could backfire.

Sure enough, when Peralta and Holt send Gordon in for the sting operation, he immediately reveals that he’s wearing a wire. Kelly begins to gloat, knowing that the evidence frames Holt to look as if he’s acted inappropriately against the commissioner, but Holt is a step ahead. After Kelly reveals his master plan, Holt reveals that he’s pulled a triple-cross, rigging the restaurant with microphones and cameras to catch Kelly’s plot. It’s a checkmate, and in his first moment of leverage against Kelly, Holt gets the first floor of the 99 reopened.

The B-plot also works well because it finally focuses on the overcrowded workspace. When the clutter gets to be too much, the rest of the 99 recruits Amy to help them get the floor organized. Naturally, Amy takes things way too far, at first channeling Marie Kondo to try to inspire everyone to declutter, but when that doesn’t work well enough, she adopts an extreme German system where everyone is forced to throw away all possessions except one. It’s a silly plot to highlight the weird, quirky things that each employee hoards, but eventually shifts into something more serious. Terry is hesitant to throw away a pair of nice suspenders that he bought to wear to celebrate passing the lieutenant’s exam, but since he didn’t pass the exam, he’s not sure why he’s holding onto them. I always joke that Terry doesn’t get enough character work on the show, but this felt like a very last-minute addition. Still, I guess it’s something. Amy decides to replace the suspenders she made him throw away and buys him study material to encourage him to retake the exam.

With two solid plots directly involved with the season’s main narrative, this was a funny, yet meaningful episode. It will be interesting to see whether a new wrench is thrown into the Holt-Kelly feud now that Holt has the upper hand and whether the show will eventually fill Holt’s assistant vacancy with a new character. With Rosa and Amy as the only women regulars at this point, it would be nice to get more feminine energy in the 99.

BK99 Blotter

- The cold open finds Jake, Rosa, and Holt hopped up on too much cold brew. Now imagine Amy hopped up on cold brew trying to organize the floor. Yikes.

- “Real life is boring, which is why no one watches documentaries.” – Jake Peralta

- Rosa refers to Terry’s daughters’ basketball team as “doomed.”

- When Jake asks for a drumroll, Holt begins doing a very slow pound. “Any reasonable person would result to Lento,” he says for the music geeks.

- Highlighting the two sides of her personality, Rosa can’t decide whether to keep a hatchet or the blu-ray for The Intern.

- “That came out weird…title of your sex tape.” – Jake Peralta

Nick Harley is a tortured Cleveland sports fan, thinks Douglas Sirk would have made a killer Batman movie, Spider-Man should be a big-budget HBO series, and Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson should direct a script written by one another. For more thoughts like these, read Nick's work here at Den of Geek or follow him on Twitter.

Dr. Drew -- like the rest of the world -- is having trouble processing why Jussie Smollett would stage an "attack" ... but one thing's clear to the doc ... it's more about character than mental health. The doc was out and about…

Blac Chyna is blasting Soulja Boy for trying to sex shame her after their breakup ... and she's hitting him where it hurts!!! Sources close to Blac Chyna tell TMZ ... Soulja Boy's an immature, thirsty clout chaser who was begging to get with her,…

In a recent interview, Singer/Songwriter/Comic Writer Gerard Way decided to open up on his personal experience with apocalypse situations and how that affects and inspires his work in music and comics.

Judging by Peyton Manning's beach bod, no football and a ton of Nationwide commercials does a body good!!! Check out the retired 42-year-old on the beach in Miami this week -- tossin' around a football with his kids ... and showing off his…

Did you catch all of these Star Trek references in "The Sounds of Thunder"?

The sixth episode of Star Trek: DiscoverySeason 2 feels, in some ways, like a smaller story that eventually becomes huge. And although the story mostly focuses on Saru and the Kelpiens clashing with the Ba’ul, there are still several subtle references, not just to Star Trek, but to science fiction in general.

Here’s all the winks and Easter eggs for Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 6. From old school sci-fi stories, to Kelvin Universe nods, to a visual shout-out to Tasha Yar, here’s everything you might have missed.

“The Sound of Thunder” probably references a Ray Bradbury short story

The title of this episode is very close to a famous short story by Ray Bradbury called “A Sound of Thunder.” In that story, time traveling big game hunters accidentally alter history by stepping on a butterfly in the Mesozoic Era. Because this Discovery episode deals with ancient predators, and suggestion of time travel, the connection seems obvious. Plus, Bradbury was a friend and supporter of Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry.

Airum’s abilities

The background character known as Airum has a complicated backstory, one that actually hasn’t been explained on screen. Here’s the scoop: Airum is not an alien, but instead, an enhanced human. Basically, she’s a cyborg who is super fast at processing things. Tilly mentions they would have “Spent months trying to sort through the sphere’s data” without Airum’s help. This makes Airum like a good version of a Borg drone.

Starfleet’s Wonky Knowledge of the Galaxy

Tilly also mentions that the Sphere from Episode 4 is like a “delicious slice of galaxy pie” in terms of how much history it contains. This actually makes a lot of sense. Frequently, in both The Original Series and The Next Generation, Starfleet has records or information about planets and cultures they’ve never actually seen face-to-face. The Sphere’s data now explains why: Starfleet was able to update a ton of its knowledge of the galaxy thanks to all the info Discovery downloaded.

Time incursions

Tyler mentions that Section 31 believes the Red Angel is capable of “time incursions.” In the history of Trek, the idea of enemies of Starfleet using time travel as a kind of war is common. In the prequel show Enterprise, a “temporal cold war” was happening behind the scenes with several time traveling factions from the far future.

In the Voyager two-part episode “Year of Hell,” time incursions are literally the entire plot of the story because one alien race figures out how to wipe out entire planets not just from space, but from history, too. But, perhaps the most famous time incursion in Trek history happens in the 2009 reboot movie when Nero travels back in time and destroys the USS Kelvin. That incident is commonly referred to “Nero’s temporal incursion.”

USS Archimedes

In this episode, we learn that Lt. Georgiou wasn’t serving on the USS Shenzhou in the Short Treksepisode “The Brightest Star.” Instead, she was on the USS Archimedes, which has actually never been seen in Star Trek before. But, the name Archimedes, of course, refers to the ancient Greek inventor and astronomer.

When did the Ba’ul get warp drive?

Burnham mentions that the Ba’ul become capable of warp drive twenty years prior to this episode, which happens in the year 2257. This would mean all that happened in the year 2237, which, seems to be the exact same time Georgiou rescued Saru off of Kaminar.

In “The Brightest Star,” Georgiou says there are “complicated reasons” why Saru can’t return to Kaminar. Here, we learn he’s the one who pretty much initiated first contact, even though he wasn’t a representative of a warp-capable species.

Cliffs of Cabo Rojo

When Stamets tells the story of Culber’s old scar, he mentions the cliffs of Cabo Rojo. In real life, Cabo Rojo is in Puerto Rico. Although Culber actor Wilson Cruz was born in New York, he is of Puerto Rican descent.

Sarua’ Flowers

The flowers on Kaminar are called “fredalia” which, it turns out are named after Frederick Kim, a friend of colleague of writer Bo Yeon Kim, who co-wrote this episode of Discovery with Erika Lippoldt.

In a moving Twitter post, Bo Yeon Kim said that “Fred passed away tragically due to a sudden brain aneurysm. Gone too soon, with so many stories left untold. He loved all things Star Trek, and wrote “Forgotten Light,” a short story that was published in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds VII.”

Michael and Saru’s robes

Though we’re meant to think that Michael and Saru’s robes are simply there to help them blend in with the Kelpien culture, the style of the robes is really similar to what Kirk and Bones wore in Star Trek Into Darkness. In that scenario, Bones and Kirk were trying not to make first contact, whereas here, Michael is.

Michael’s phaser on stun

In another nod to reboot movies, Michael’s phaser sports a little blue light on the side to indicate its set on “stun.” In the reboot movies, this was the subtle way you new a phaser was set to “stun” or “kill.”

Aquatic aliens

By the end of the episode, we’re meant to understand that the Ba’ul are basically aquatic aliens. Strangely, aquatic aliens are somewhat rare in Star Trek. But, in the prequel series Enterprise, one offshoot of the Xindi species were totally aquatic, and, as such, had giant swimming tanks on their spaceships.

Armus From “Skin of Evil”

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will also probably feel nostalgic about the creepy black goo look of the Ba’ul. In almost every single way, the tar-like alien will remind Trekkies of Armus, the alien that killed Tasha Yar in the TNG episode “Skin of Evil.”

Red Angel is a Person

In the last scene of the episode, we learn that the Red Angel isn’t really an angel, but in fact, a time traveling person. Tyler says the person is wearing a “Mechanized suit, exhibiting technology far beyond present Federation capability.” So, who could it be? The possibilities are literally endless. But, one thing is for certain, we’ll probably find out this season.

The Discovery heads to Saru's home planet and almost starts a war.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 6

Well, that escalated quickly.

Driven by yet another sighting of the mysterious Red Angel, Discovery finds itself in orbit around Saru's homeworld of Kaminar, a planet we know from the Short Treks episode "The Brightest Star." Kaminar is home to two species: the Kelpiens, the pre-warp species from which Saru hails, and the Ba'ul, who have used their advanced technology to convince the Kelpiens to ritually-sacrifice themselves to the Ba'ul for generations.

In the first season of Discovery, Saru's species was described as one half of a predator-prey dichotomy that brought up many follow-up questions that were never properly addressed. In "The Sound of Thunder," we dive right in.

The Discovery's arrival on Kaminar is complicated by many factors. For Starfleet, it is complicated by General Order One, which states that no starship will interfere with the "normal" development of an alien species. As the Kelpiens are pre-warp and have never met an alien before (Saru is a massive outlier), any Starfleet officer, save for Saru, who even makes contact with the Kelpiens will be changing their world forever. Pike must parse out for himself and the Discovery whether his mission to discover the true nature of the Red Angel should take any kind of priority over General Order One.

Everything is complicated by Saru's recent transition through a biological process known as vahar'ai. Saru, like all Kelpiens, was raised to believe that vahar'ai was a terminal condition; the instigation of vahar'ai was what led Kelpiens to sacrifice themselves to the Ba'ul as part of the culling. Now, Saru knows that it not the truth, as he himself has survived, coming out on the other side without his threat ganglia. He is understandably angry, and wishes to keep his family, community, and species from continuing to sacrifice themselves for what he now knows to be a lie.

Through some strong-arming from an emotionally-involved Saru, Pike agrees to let both Michael and Saru go down to the planet to find out from the Kelpiens if they have seen the Red Angel for themselves. The two visit Saru's home village, and meet Saru's sister, Siranna, who has become a priest in Saru's 18-year absence, in no small part driven by her brother's absence and the strange beam of light she saw in the sky on the night of his disappearance.

Siranna is initially overjoyed to see the brother she feares was dead, but her relief partially (and understandably) turns to anger when she realizes that her brother did not return to see her or to let her know he is not dead, but rather to inquire about the Red Angel. (Note: It's almost never better to let your loved ones think you are dead.)

Siranna isn't the only person that is upset by Saru's return. Once the Ba'ul realize that a Kelpien who has gone through vahar'ai exists and is back on Kaminar, they threaten to destroy Saru's village unless Discovery hands him over.

This is another great Pike episode. I'm not sure what choices I would have made in his position, but he shows immense empathy when it comes to trying to understand how Saru might feel, while also knowing that Saru is feeling a lot of different things. "He is our people," is surely one of Pike's best moments yet, and another Star Trek: DiscoverySeason 2 moment that feels to tap into the Trek spirit. However, Saru takes matters into his own hands. Surrendering himself to the Ba'ul, despite Pike's orders and Michael's concerns.

I have to admit... throughout most of this episode, I was convinced that the Ba'ul would turn out to be the post-vahar'ai Kelpiens, transformed into something else, watching over the Kelpiens from above, afraid that their lack of fear makes them unable to co-exist with their former communities. I'm disappointed that this did not turn out to be the case, partially because I have so many questions about what changes Saru is set to experience. However, what Saru did find within the Ba'ul fortress was also pretty cool. And by "cool," I mean terrifying.

Using information gathered by the Sphere, Tilly, Michael, and Airum (that's right—the cyborg character gets some stuff to do this episode!) discover that the Ba'ul once lived on the planet with both pre-vahar'ai and post-vahar'ai Kelpiens. The post-vahar'ai Kelpiens were the predator species then, leading the Ba'ul to come up with a plan: if they could get rid of the post-vahar'ai Kelpiens, then they could rule the planet. They used their superior technology to do so... somehow. Still a little fuzzy on the details here, and the Ba'ul we encounter doesn't fill much of it in.

It's a disappointing lesson to learn from years as the prey, but it's also an understandable one, and it also highlights how wise Saru's own decision is. Rather than try to take out the Ba'ul, he wishes to find a way for the Kelpiens to co-exist with the Ba'ul. There will be space for the Kelpien rage — which feels beyond necessary — but there will be negotiation and mediation and cooperation, too. Hopefully, there will be a way for the Ba'ul and the Kelpiens to share Kaminar.

To instigate this process, Saru decides to induce the vahar'ai of every Kelpien on the planet. Not going to lie: This is a massive decision for Saru to make on behalf of the Kelpien people, without the consent of the Kelpien people. Ideally, there would be room for a negotiation process without the forced vahar'ai of all Kelpiens. They would have the space to decide for themselves if they would like to go through the process, or let it happen naturally. Mediation of this kind of process is exactly the kind of job the Federation has been designed for. This is the latest example of characters on this show making choices about other characters' bodies without their consent, and it sucks.

Either way, the Ba'ul are not into this plan. Instead, they plan to blow up every Kelpien village. Discovery tries to stop it, but they can only work so quickly. Instead, it is the Red Angel who steps in, yet again, to save the day, shutting the Ba'ul base down and saving the Kelpiens. Saru and Siranna witness the "miracle" and we get the best look at this Red Angel yet. They are not an angel at all, but rather a humanoid in some kind of suit. They seemingly have the ability to travel through time, amongst other technological capacities that are beyond what the Federation is capable of.

TyVoq interrupts his busy schedule of lurk-moping around to bring up some very good questions about the Red Angel. He points out to Pike that everything is fine and dandy until the Red Angel decides to turn their power on the Federation. Pike calls this paranoid, and it's kind of wonderful that he is so optimistic. For me, TyVoq is a helpful voice, though I am glad he is not the one making the decisions. However, he is missing another vital point: Whatever happens in the future, the Red Angel is more or less commandeering Federation resources to help carry out their plan. Without Discovery's arrival on Kaminar, none of this would have happened.

This episode left me with so many interesting questions that I am very much emotionally-engaged with. What will happen to Saru, and the rest of the post-vahar'ai Kelpiens? What does it mean to live without fear? Should the Discovery have intervened so intensely? What is the goal of the Red Angel? Have we met the Red Angel before? And, most importantly, why doesn't this ship have 10 times more counselors?

Poor Hugh. Stamets is just glad to have his partner back and is not reading the room at all. I don't know what the doctor's excuse is. And, for the love of god, why is there no therapist in this conversation???

This episode built so wonderfully off of the previous one. From Saru's transition and what it could mean to him, to the knowledge uncovered in the Sphere, to the focus of Michael and Saru's relationship, this feels like one, seamless story.

One of the things I loved about this episode is that it all felt new. The Kelpiens and Kanimar are new additions to the DISCO universe, and you could feel it as this story unfolded.

The fact that Saru has such better eyesight than humans reminds me of the Farscape episode "Crackers Don't Matter," when we find out Crichton's eyes, despite being 20/20 and blue, are so much less good at seeing than the other inhabitants of Moya.

In many ways, Saru's storyline here mirrored Michael's storyline from Discovery's first two episodes. I hope the two address this at some point, as Saru's anger surrounding Michael's choices in the premiere still feels somewhat unresolved.

Zany Red Angel theory: OK, so this episode had me thinking a lot about the Short Treks. The Short Treks episode "Calypso" is set 1,000 years in Discovery's future and sees the Discovery's computer abandoned and waiting for her crew. In that time, she has evolved somewhat and becomes friends with a castaway named Craft. Craft eventually leaves, but what happenes to the Discovery? Could she have evolved into something new, like the Red Angel?

This episode was written by Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt, who will serve as co-showrunners on the Michelle Yeoh spinoff, which just makes me even more excited for that show.

Multi-instrumentalist Peter Tork insisted The Monkees play their own music on the pre-fab four's records.

Peter Tork of the 1960s TV-band-turned-real-band The Monkees, died from complications of a rare form of cancer on Thursday at a family home in eastern Connecticut. He was 77.

"Our beloved Peter passed away peacefully today at the age of 77. His talent, charm and humor were undeniable and he had the rare honor of bringing joy and music to multiple generations. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fans around the world.," an announcement on The Monkees' official Facebook page reads.

"Peter Tork died this AM. I am told he slipped away peacefully," Michael Nesmith said in a statement. "Yet, as I write this my tears are awash, and my heart is broken. Even though I am clinging to the idea that we all continue, the pain that attends these passings has no cure. It's going to be a rough day."

"There are no words right now...heart broken over the loss of my Monkee brother, Peter Tork," Dolenz posted on Twitter.

The Monkees consisted of two former child actors - Davy Jones, who died in 2012, and Micky Dolenz - and two telegenic musicians - Michael Nesmith and Tork. The Monkees television show ran from 1966 to 1968 on NBC. The Monkees was created by producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider to cash in on the success of The Beatles films A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, and aped the frenetic film style of director Richard Lester. The Monkees won an Emmy Award for outstanding comedy and launched Monkeemania.

The Monkees sold 35 million albums in 1967, reportedly double what the Beatles and Rolling Stones sold that year combined. The Monkees were one of the highest-charting acts of decade, with number hits like "Last Train to Clarksville," "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer." The group had four No. 1 albums. Tork's last solo record, "Relax Your Mind," which he recorded with his band Shoe Suede Blues, came out in 2018.

Video of The Monkees - Words

Peter Halsten Thorkelson was born on Feb. 13, 1942, in Washington, D.C. After college, he moved to New York and became part of Greenwich Village's early 1960s folk scene. Tork auditioned for the Monkees after his friend Stephen Stills suggested he try out for the show.Tork, who was 24 when the series premiered, was the band’s oldest member. Tork mostly played bass and keyboards and sang harmonies for the band. He sang lead on tracks like “Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again,” “Your Aunt Grizelda,” and “I Believe You.” He duetted with Dolenz on "Words," from the band's 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the song was the flip A-side to "Pleasant Valley Sunday." Tork plays the piano introduction to “Daydream Believer.”

After a counterpoint part he wrote for “Last Train to Clarksville” was ignored, Tork became the first member of the band to take issue with music producer Don Kirshner's decision to record the albums with studio musicians. "The Monkees weren't about music," psychicatrist Dr. Zweig told Marge Simpson on The Simpsons' episode "Fear of Flying." "They were about rebellion, about political and social upheaval!" The band took control of their studio time for their second album, More of the Monkees (1967), and recorded the parts themselves. The bandmembers even wrote songs. The continued to develop in the studio on the albums Headquarters (1967) and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (1967). The Monkees also starred in the freewheeling satirical film Head (1968), with a screenplay co-written by Jack Nicholson. The Monkees popularity faded after their TV show was canceled after two seasons. Tork was the first member to leave the band, which he did in 1969.

The band famously toured with Jimi Hendrix as an opening act and Tork went on to play banjo on George Harrison's 1968 album Wonderwall Music, the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall. After leaving the Monkees Tork put together a band called Release. Tork recorded his first solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, in 1994.

Tork went bankrupt after forming his own production company and he and his wife moved into David Crosby’s basement. He worked as a high school teacher and singing waiter. Tork was briefly jailed in 1972 for possession of a small amount of hashish.

Tork reunited with Jones and Dolenz in 1985 in celebration of the Monkees’ 20th anniversary and continued to tour intermittently over the next few decades. Nesmith, whose mother invented Liquid Paper, was recording as a country-rock solo act, did not join them until their 1996 album Justus. Nesmith joined the band on a tribute tour after Jone's death in 2012. The Monkees released the album Good Times in 2016. Oasis' Noel Gallagher was a guest musician, as were Rivers Cuomo, Ben Gibbard, and Paul Weller.

Culture Editor Tony Sokol cut his teeth on the wire services and also wrote and produced New York City's Vampyr Theatre and the rock opera AssassiNation: We Killed JFK. Read more of his work here or find him on Twitter @tsokol.

Gotham Season 5 Episode 7 lives up to its "Ace Chemicals" name as a classic Batman comic moment finally comes to pass.

This Gotham review contains spoilers.

Gotham Season 5 Episode 7

Last week Gotham Season 5 was all about the coming of Bane, but this week, we have a Jeremiah focused bit of madness. Things kick off with James Gordon finding out via short wave radio that the madness of No Man’s Land will soon end as help and reunification is on the way. Unless something else happens to destabilize Gotham City, that is. Whoomp whooomp whooomp. That’s a bit sledge hammery, isn’t it?

Speaking of plot sledge hammers, we have Barbara and Gordon’s baby drama. Last week, it was revealed that Jim Gordon knocked up his ex-fiancé, current crime boss, and sometimes crazy murderous ex-girlfriend Barbara Kean during a fit of passion. Now, I’m sure we have all made questionable relationship choices in our lives, but are we really buying that the pragmatic Jim Gordon is hooking up with a woman who tried to murder him? More than once? Really? I know Barbara bravely came to Gordon and the GCPD’s aid during the No Man’s Land saga, again more than once, but really, Jim? Unprotected sex? With a woman who tried to horrifically murder you, all your friends, and Lee Thompkins?

Anyway, whether we buy it or not, Barbara is pregnant and she wants the best doctor in No Man’s Land to care for the baby, and of course that would be Doctor Lee Thompkins. Now, this is all very silly, but I have to admit I am very intrigued to see if this baby is going to be Barbara Gordon, the future Batgirl. Or will the child be James Jr., future serial killer? If Barbara Kean doesn’t make it out of NML, is it possible that James names his newborn daughter after her fallen mother and Batgirl begins? As I said: silly but intriguing.

Compared to main arc this week, the Gordon baby drama is just background news because we finally learn Jeremiah’s master plan and it is really the cruelest trick. Remember, Jeremiah has tunneled underneath Wayne Manor and has kidnapped Alfred. This week, Bruce finds his way through the tunnel and into his family home- his birthright. There, Jeremiah is waiting with two poor victims who have been surgically altered to look exactly like Thomas and Martha Wayne. Alfred has been brainwashed and the illusion of Wayne domestic tranquility has begun.

You see, Jeremiah is jealous that he had nothing to do with the death of the Waynes, that Bruce’s greatest enemy, his worst nightmare, will always center on a nameless, faceless gunman and not Jeremiah. Jeremiah is going to reenact the Wayne killings so Bruce will always picture the pale faced madman as the cause of his worst evening. There are tons of references to the comic book origins of Batman including a wonderfully crafted reenactment of an old Zorro film to torment Bruce, but this bond, this obsession that Jeremiah has with Bruce makes us bring back the ‘ol question: is Jeremiah actually the Joker? And you know what, that question does get answered this week - more on that in a minute.

First let’s check in with two other rogues. Penguin and Selina are planning their great escape using Jeremiah’s tunnel. Penguin has a poop ton of stolen swag and Selina wants to escape Gotham City with the loot and begin a new life. So the Cat and the Bird take to Jeremiah’s tunnels to make their way out of the increasingly dangerous No Man’s Land. Who do they find in the tunnels? Bruce Wayne, of course.

After Jeremiah reveals his plan, he sets off a series of bombs in Wayne Manor. The concussion of the blast knocks Alfred back to reality and the two must race to prevent the farcical Wayne murder. Oh, I forgot to mention, the murder will also trigger the launch of Mad Hatter designed poison into the atmosphere. Yeah, remember when we said Gotham City will only receive help if it remains stable? Jeremiah’s about to eff that all up in a big bad way while reenacting Bruce’s greatest horror.

So the Wayne murder is happening again and this time the only witness, Selina Kyle, can help. She is still guilt ridden that she didn’t help the real Waynes on the night of their murder. This is a wonderful plot convergence and a well-crafted chance of redemption for Selina who told a lovelorn Bruce Wayne last week that she didn’t care enough to help his parents that night. It turns out the world weary Selina still has the soul of a hero (plus, she still really wants to kill Jeremiah for shooting her) and forgoes an escape with Penguin to help Bruce save Gotham City. We knew you had it in you, girl!

And what might trigger the Mad Hatter bombs, you ask? Oh, the pearls. The pearls! The dangerously close to becoming a tired cliché pearls. As Selina, Alfred, and Bruce converge on Jeremiah’s murder LARP, we have many converging plot lines. Selina is there for redemption, Bruce is there for justice, and Jeremiah is there to forever live as Bruce Wayne’s brother in blood. Even Ecco Harley shows up to join the fun. As Jeremiah’s plan begins, the maybe Joker reveals that the Waynes are not two nameless saps forced to undergo plastic surgery, no; he put those two out of their misery.

The new Waynes are Lee Thompkins and James Gordon, the closest thing young Bruce has to parents (well, there’s Alfred, but Alfred and Lee as a couple really wouldn’t make story sense- just go with it people). When the faux Waynes are shot, the clichéd pearls will hit the ground trigger Mad Hatter’s gas and Gotham will be cut off from all aid from the outside world. The dominos begin to fall when it all goes wrong for Jeremiah, thanks to Selina. Gordon and Lee are freed of Jeremiah’s control, and Bruce chases maybe Joker into- guess where. Just guess.

Hell yeah, Ace Chemicals: The iconic comic book locale where the Red Hood fell into a vat of skin bleaching chemicals and became the Joker! Jeremiah and Bruce reenact the comic book origin and of course, Jeremiah plunges into the vat. And we cannot call Jeremiah the maybe Joker anymore because now that he has crossed the threshold into Ace Chemicals, Jeremiah is officially the Joker. This is a moment Gotham fans have been waiting five years for, the answer to the question of who is and will be Batman’s greatest enemy. Ace Chemicals answers that long burning question. What a punchline.

Gotham Easter Eggs and References

Now, I want everyone to look at the metatextual element of Jeremiah’s plan. In Batman (1989), it was Jack Nicholson’s Joker that killed Bruce Wayne’s parents. In all other versions it is a nobody gunman named Joe Chill. Gotham’s Joker, Jeremiah, wants to become Jack Nicholson’s Joker by killing the “Waynes” while acting like Heath Ledger’s Joker only to become the comic book Joker inside of Ace Chemicals. That’s some gymnastic plotting, right there.

Oh, we forgot to mention, Jeremiah also destroyed Wayne Manor. We know it will be rebuilt but will Jeremiah’s tunnels become the Batcave? There is a lot to play with this episode as Gotham finally delivered on some long promised teases. There are all sorts of forced melodrama like the surgically altered Waynes, but when put under the lens of Batman (1989) and comic book history, man, is there tons to unpack with this episode.

We are left with Penguin partnering with Riddler as they plan to build a sub to escape Gotham City. They need the pregnant Barbara’s help and these three should be hilarious as Barbara forgoes killing Penguin for a chance to escape No Man’s land. Meanwhile, Jeremiah is now brain dead, but he gets a small victory as No Man’s Land continues. Jim manages to drive the Mad Hatter gas into the river, but the toxic chemicals were still released as the federal government now refuses to come to the cancerous city to help end No Man’s Land.

With all that effective drama, we end with a bit of romantic nonsense as Lee smacks Jim then kisses Jim as none of this romance makes sense because I really cannot buy that any human, during a dystopian crisis, would sleep with a woman that tried to kill him during a dystopian crisis. Maybe it’s just me. But let’s forgive all that because we now have witnessed the Gotham origin of Batman’s greatest enemy and we don’t have to call Jeremiah maybe Joker anymore.

Vynn Capital, a new entrant to Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem, is gearing up to close its maiden fund after it landed an undisclosed sum from Malaysia Venture Capital Management Bhd (MAVCAP) as one of its anchor LPs.

Founded by former Gobi Ventures VC Victor Chua and Singaporean investor Darren Chua (no relation) one year ago, Kuala Lumpur-based Vynn is targeting a $40 million fund for Southeast Asia. The firm has already made four investments and, on the LP side, gone after traditional businesses and Southeast Asia’s family corporations. Landing MAVCAP — which is Malaysia’s largest investor has backed VC funds including Gobi — is a major coup for a debut fund.

“The investment from MAVCAP is a very good validation for Vynn Capital,” said Victor Chua, who is Malaysian. “Personally, having been active in the local and regional ecosystem, I’ve benefited from the growth trajectory of the ecosystem and am now able to launch a new fund that is addressing the need of the traditional businesses to be innovative.”

“The thesis of the fund is Southeast Asia, but through our investment we are focused on how it will be invested in Malaysian deals,” MAVCAP’s Shahril Anas told TechCrunch in an interview. “We have some carry and expect returns that we can invest into local entrepreneurs in Malaysia, we are also keen to look at how other countries’ economies interact with startups.”

Anas said the approach is to be very hands-off, MAVCAP has various other fund investments, but he reiterated that there may be specific data or insight that the organization looks to glean.

Southeast Asia is emerging from the shadows of China and India to become a target market for startups and, by extension, the investors who write the checks to finance them.

Beyond a cumulative population of over 600 million people, the region’s ‘digital economy’ is tipped to grow to $240 billion by 2025 from $31 million in 2015, according to a report from Google and Singapore sovereign fund Temasek.

Here’s our good friend Olivia Munn looking absolutely stunning while making her way to her Extra appearance yesterday afternoon, and dropping everyone’s jaw to the floor and inducing a drool-fest while doing so thanks to her sexy legs and thighs and curves in a pair of groovy tight pants, and especially thanks to her massive bosom that’s busting out like bananas… sweet baby Jesus! She just keeps getting sexier and sexier, eh? And bustier! Woohoo! Alright, enjoy the bodacious photos!

Here’s a photo that Ariana Grande just posted on her Instagram featuring her sexy little self taking a selfie and using one of those stupid kitty cat filters, but more importantly, squeezing out some impressive cleavage action… wowzers! So yeah, she can use any stupid filter she wants… just as long as she busts out her sexy little cleavage. Speaking of… enjoy!

Here are a couple of photos that Madison Beer just posted on her Instagram featuring her sexy little self looking absolutely stunning and teasing some of her massive cleavage… hoochie mama! Yup, even a glimpse at this peach’s cleavage is a freaking drool-fest because said cleavage is perfect, and glorious, and drool-inducing to the max. Hot damn is it ever! Enjoy!

Here are a couple of photos that model/actress/Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo just posted on her Instagram featuring her stunning little self looking insanely sexy and perfect from head to toe, and showing off her ridiculously sexy legs, and curves, and bosom in skin-tight workout attire… good lord! I would give up an appendage to go on a ride with her. Know what I mean? Oh, you do? Well… alrighty then! Enjoy the sizzling photos!

It was announced this week that super hottie Eliza Dushku was pregnant with her first child, so I thought what better way to give myself a good excuse celebrate the announcement and that it’s TGIF than with these photos of Eliza looking her absolute sexiest, and ultra leggy and braless and busty and cleavagy… hoochie mama! I don’t know (or care) who the dad is, but I do know that he’s one lucky ######! Enjoy the photos and have a good weekend my peeps!

We have the highlights of what's coming and going from HBO Now and HBO Go in March 2019.

HBO has long been one of the best places to find original documentaries but even for them, March 2019 is just ridiculously packed with intriguing docs. HBO Now and HBO Go's new releases for March 2019 includes no fewer than three documentaries that are sure to cause a stir.

Leaving Neverland, the explosive Michael Jackson documentary that investigates fresh claims against the entertainer of sexual assault on minors, debuts its first two hours on March 3. The second half bows the next day. Then the 4-part series The Case Against Adnan Syed premieres on March 10. The doc continues the story of Adnan Syed and the murder of Hae Min Lee first broadcasted by Serial Season 1. Finally, the Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos documentary, The Inventor, premieres on March 18.

Amid all the documentaries are some other HBO favorites. Veep and Barry both premiere on March 31.

Despite all the gains in the documentary and originals realm. HBO's streams are going to take a lot of hits on the movie front. Catch Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Justice League, and Fargo while you can. Films like Despicable Me, Drugstore Cowboy, and 50 First Dateswill try their best to make up for their absence.

Here are some of the highlights coming to HBO Now and HBO Go in March 2019 viaHBO PR.

The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa 2 has just completed the next phase of its multi-part, multi-year mission by shooting a bullet into the asteroid it had been circling and returning to space.

Hopefully, the spacecraft has been able to collect samples of asteroid material kicked off from the surface by the impact from the specially made bullet that the Hayabusa craft shot.

The landing and mining mission is the sequel to an earlier mission (the first Hayabusa voyage), which was a seven year voyage during which the spacecraft observed an asteroid, collected samples and returned to Earth.

Scientists said that collecting material from the Ryugu asteroid could offer clues to support a hypothesis of how water and life formed on the surface of the Earth in the early days of the planet’s formation. Ryugu is a near earth asteroid that scientists have identified as carbon-rich (a C-type), which may have water in their rocks.

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 is expected to return to Earth in 2020 with its rocky haul.

According to the rocket’s Twitter feed the rocket began its descent roughly 20 kilometers above the asteroid’s surface in the early hours of the 21st and touched down a few hours ago.

The descent and collection was supposed to take place last year, when the spacecraft deployed two rovers on the surface of the asteroid to scout its geography. Those rovers relayed images of a terrain that was a bit more rocky than scientists had expected, so more planning had to be done before the mission could be carried out.

China’s Baidu, which is often compared to Alphabet’s Google, is showing no signs of slowing down its pace of betting on video content as its core advertising unit feels the squeeze from rivals. The company’s latest financial results show its video streaming business iQiyi posted a net loss of 9.1 billion yuan or $1.3 billion in 2018, compared to just 3.74 billion yuan in 2017.

Not long ago, iQiyi announced raising $500 million in convertible notes to fuel its spending spree. The video site, which filed for a $1.5 billion U.S. IPO last February, aspires to be the “Disney of China” with a Netflix-style production house and a plan to merchandise a library of intellectual property. Baidu also felt the heat as content costs from 2018 jumped 75 percent to $3.42 billion mainly on account of iQiyi expenses.

The cash burn appears to be paying off. IQiyi added 36.6 million subscribers last year, bringing its total users to 87.4 million. 98.5 percent of them were paying, a promising ratio given Chinese users were long used to getting free content in a country with rampant online piracy. IQiyi’s most serious contender Tencent Video had 82 million users as of Q3.

2018 also turned out to be the first time Baidu has crossed the 100 billion yuan earnings mark as the firm pocketed 102.3 billion yuan ($14.88 billion) in total revenues, an increase of 28 percent from 2017.

In Q4 alone, Baidu’s total revenues grew 22 percent to $3.96 billion at a slower rate compared to the previous quarter. Online advertising from search results, news feed and video content still made up the majority of the company’s income despite the considerable resources the behemoth has poured into autonomous driving and other AI-focused efforts.

Meanwhile, Baidu’s lucrative advertising business is facing heightened competition from ByteDance, the fast-ascending new media company with a suite of news and video apps that are proven popular with marketers. The Beijing-based firm that’s also unnerved Tencent was expected to achieve $7.4 billion in revenues last year, Bloomberg reported citing sources.

To fend off attackers, Baidu has broadened its advertising inventory beyond the web to include the likes of elevators. In another move, Baidu paid $133 million in cash prizes luring users to its namesake search app on the eve of Chinese New Year. But its search service has over the years been a repeated target for criticism on issues ranging from false medical ads to more recently the subpar quality of its search results. Baidu has nonetheless held onto its commanding position in a market where Google is absent and smaller players like Bing and Sogou remain the underdogs.

On the AI front, Baidu made a total of 13 investments in 2018 that made it the most prolific corporate venture capital focused on the realm, according to a report from CB Insights. Microsoft’s M12 venture and Google Ventures followed closely behind.

Though Baidu’s AI business is far from achieving mass commercialization, the segment has scored some notable landmarks. Over 200 million devices now use DuerOS, the company’s answer to the Alexa voice assistant. Baidu’s autonomous driving open platform Apollo has accumulated 135 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including Volvo, which is working with its Chinese ally to deliver level four self-driving passenger vehicles that can operate on pre-mapped roads with minimum human intervention.

Erin Falconer claimed the first SEC Title of her career on Thursday at the 2019 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, winning the 200 free to claim Auburn’s first individual conference title since 2017. Her win was one of three podium…

Who is Wednesday? What’s Laura’s plan? Whose side is Bilquis on? Here’s a spoiler-filled refresher on American Gods season one…

A war is coming. The old gods and the new are preparing for battle. Both sides are recruiting soldiers. In the broadest of strokes, that’s the story of American Gods season one. In much finer strokes, it’s also the story of vagina nebulas, fire-eyed jinn, jellybean-defecating rabbits, David Bowie-Scully and Mexican Jesus.

Pitched somewhere between the above, here’s a recap of the major action so far ahead of season two…

“Your wife, she died in the early hours of this morning. It was an automobile accident.”

Small-time crook Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) is days from release after serving three years of a six-year prison sentence for aggravated assault and battery, when his wife Laura (Emily Browning) dies in a car accident. Attempting to fly back to their Eagle Point home for her funeral, Shadow is delayed at the airport and on his flight meets the mysterious Mr Wednesday (Ian McShane), who offers him a job. The flight is grounded due to bad weather, and Shadow later runs into Wednesday in a bar, where he agrees to take the job if he loses a coin toss. Shadow uses a coin rigged for tails, but it comes up heads, and Wednesday seals their “compact” with three shots of mead.

At the bar, Shadow meets another of Wednesday’s employees, Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber), who says he’s a leprechaun, picks gold coins out of the air and is blessed with good luck. Instructed by Wednesday to test Shadow’s mettle, Sweeney picks a fight and unwittingly gives Shadow his magic gold coin, breaking his lucky streak. He pursues Shadow to get it back.

At his wife’s funeral, Shadow learns from her friend Audrey (Betty Gilpin) that Laura was having an affair with her husband Robbie, who also died in the car accident. He drops Mad Sweeney’s magic gold coin onto the fresh soil of Laura’s grave, where it sinks down into her chest, resurrecting her.

On his way back from the funeral, Shadow is ambushed by Technical Boy (Bruce Langley), a vaping youngster who offers Shadow a job that he refuses. Technical Boy’s goons beat Shadow savagely and lynch him. He’s rescued by a mysterious figure that later turns out to be Laura, who has super-strength in her new undead state, which also causes her to see Shadow as a gold glowing light she’s able to follow.

“I’m the one they sacrifice to.”

In a shopping centre, Shadow is addressed by Media (Gillian Anderson) from a TV set in the guise of Lucille Ball from I Love Lucy. She also tries to recruit him but confused, he ignores it as just another strange dream. He and Wednesday drive to Chicago, where Wednesday tries to recruit the fortune-reading Zorya sisters and cattle-slaughterer Czernobog (all ancient deities) to his cause. Shadow bets his life against Czernobog joining the cause in a game of checkers but loses. He convinces Czernobog to have a rematch and wins, so the cow-killer agrees to join Wednesday but to kill Shadow when it’s all over.

Shadow and Wednesday pull off a scheme to rob a night’s worth of bank deposits. On Wednesday’s urging, Shadow makes it snow. At Shadow’s motel room, undead Laura is waiting for him. Laura’s backstory reveals her to have been a disaffected, lonely croupier who met Shadow when she warned him not to rob her workplace. Believing in nothing, she once tried to kill herself using bug spray in her hot tub. After years of marriage, a bored, unhappy Laura devises a perfect plan to rob the casino with Shadow, but the cops arrive and he takes the rap, going to prison. Laura says she’ll wait for Shadow but 13 months in to his sentence, starts an affair with Robbie, then ends it on the day they both die in the car accident.

In the afterlife, the god Anubis tells dead Laura that as she believed in nothing in life, she will go to nothing in death, and is ushering her into the hot-tub where she tried to kill herself when the magic coin drags her back into her body on Earth. Laura rescues Shadow from being lynched, visits Audrey, and has her arm sewn back on. Funeral directors Mr Ibis and Mr Jacquel (Anubis) fix Laura up at their funeral home and Anubis tells her “when you are done, I will complete my task and deliver you unto darkness.” When Laura kisses Shadow, she feels her dead heart beat for the first time.

“You’ve gotten yourself mixed up in some really weird shit, Shadow.”

Shadow and Wednesday are arrested in connection with the bank robbery, following a tip-off from their enemy, Mr World. Media, in the form of Life On Mars David Bowie, pays a visit to Technical Boy and tells him that he has to apologise for lynching Shadow.

Shadow and Wednesday are about to escape interrogation at the police station thanks to the help of the spider god Anansi, when Media (in the guise of The Seven Year Itch Marilyn Monroe) floats in, with Mr World (Crispin Glover) and Technical Boy, who is forced to apologise to Shadow.

The new gods—Mr World, Media and Technical Boy—propose a merger with the old gods. They’ve been recruiting old gods and rebranding them for the modern world and they offer Wednesday a missile that would ensure everybody knows his name and bows to him in prayer. He refuses, and the new gods massacre the entire police station on their way out, leaving a sinister tree that stabs Shadow in the gut.

Having discovered Laura’s empty grave, Mad Sweeney tracks her down to recover his magic coin. Its enchantment means that he can’t take it from her and she must give it willingly. She refuses and he says that he’ll wait until her dead flesh drops off her bones and then take it as her days are numbered. He calls her Dead Wife, she calls him Ginger Minge, and they steal a taxi, driven by Salim, a Muslim immigrant we met in one of the Coming To America story segments, who is searching for the jinn he fell in love with. Mad Sweeney tells Laura he can take her to someone who can resurrect her permanently, without the need for a magic coin.

“What came first, Gods or the people who believe in them?”

Wednesday removes the living shard of tree inside Shadow’s gut, and they go to visit another old god, Vulcan. He pretends to agree to join Wednesday in the fight against the new gods, but has already betrayed him and made a deal with the enemy to be worshipped through guns and bullets. Wednesday asks the god to forge him a mighty sword, and when Vulcan presents it to him, he uses it to cut off Vulcan’s head and kick him into a fiery pit.

A flashback episode tells the story of Essie Macgowan, an Irishwoman played by Emily Browning sentenced to transportation for stealing who brings the old Celtic gods to America through her stories. In prison, Essie meets Mad Sweeney, whom she keeps alive across the ocean by telling tales of leprechauns, leaving offerings to him, and passing down folk superstitions. When Essie dies, it’s Mad Sweeney who comes to take her to her death.

Laura decides to let Salim go in search of his jinn, and steals an ice-cream truck, which they crash due to a white rabbit in the road. Laura’s magic coin is flung from her body in the impact, which kills her permanently. Mad Sweeney, feeling guilt for having killed Laura and Robbie in the first place—running their car off the road on Wednesday’s orders—returns the coin and brings Laura back to life. Wednesday was also the one who ruined Laura’s perfect robbery plan and orchestrated Shadow going to prison. He needed him to have nothing left to lose, Mad Sweeney explains to Laura.

“This is all too big, too much going on at once. We should start with a story.”

Shadow and Wednesday have new suits made by the spider god Anubis aka Mr Nancy, who tells them the story of Bilquis (Yetide Badaki), the love goddess whose power waned but who accepted the new gods’ offer of restoring it by using dating apps as an altar on which she would be worshipped. Bilquis absorbs her lovers into her vagina, where they live on floating in a space-like void. Anubis tells Wednesday that as the new Gods have a queen, he also needs one. Wednesday and Shadow go to visit Ostara (Kristin Chenoweth), the goddess of spring. They arrive mid-celebrations on Easter Sunday when Ostara is hosting a party for many incarnations of Jesus.

“You weren’t murdered. You were sacrificed.”

Laura and Mad Sweeney arrive at Ostara's, where Mad Sweeney has told Laura she can be resurrected. Laura learns that because she was killed by a god—Wednesday—Ostara can’t resurrect her. (“That is a death without undoing. Not by my hand, anyway.”) Having learned the truth about Wednesday’s involvement in their lives and her death, Laura asks to speak to her husband.

“Tell them we’ve taken the spring. They can have it back when they pray for it.”

Wednesday tells Ostara to reclaim her worshippers from Jesus, and her festival from Christianity by causing a famine and forcing people to sacrifice to her for the return of the spring. She refuses initially, but when Media (in the guise of Gone With The Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara), Technical Boy and a version of Mr World arrive at the party with a gang of goons, Wednesday kills their men by drawing down lightning from the sky and she does as he suggests, sending a famine across America. Shadow, who earlier told a Jesus that he didn’t think he knew how to believe in anything, finally understands that he’s in a world of gods, and says that he has faith. Wednesday reveals his true identity to Shadow. He is the ancient Norse God Odin.

The season finale ends with a procession of ancient deities piling into Wisconsin tourist attraction The House On The Rock for a pre-war summit. One such is love goddess Bilquis, who has been told to repay her favour to Technical Boy by seducing (we assume) Shadow and absorbing him into her void.

Season one also features several beautifully told 'Coming To America' immigrant god stories weaving in Danish, Egyptian, Arabic, Mexican and many other nation's deities.

Supergirl is off for the Academy Awards this Sunday, but it'll be back the following week, on March 3rd, with a new episode that will see Kara and her Superfriends take on Manchester Black and The Elite.

Tig Notaro has been cast in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2. According to Variety, the comedian will guest star as Chief Engineer Denise Reno of the U.S.S. Hiawatha.

Will we see more of Rainn Wilson as Harry Mudd? We certainly hope so. But he did tell us about his excursion in the Mudd-focused "Short Treks" episode, "The Escape Artist." You can read all about it here.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Trailer

Here's the full-length trailer for Season 2 that has tons of goodies in there, both for long-time fans and fans of this show specifically. The stakes look very high in this new season, but Spock is smiling, so things can't get that dark, right?

Video of Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2 | Official Trailer

Star Trek: Discovery revealed this trailer during its scheduled appearance at New York Comic Con. It's pretty standard, action-packed stuf...hey! Who is that bearded Vulcan?

Video of Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2 | New York Comic Con Trailer

Here's the first trailer for season 2 coming out of Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con...

We've also got this featurette previewing "what to expect" from Season 2, with a special focus on the "cinematic" look of the show...

Video of Star Trek: Discovery - &quot;What To Expect In Season 2&quot;

Earlier, CBS All-Access released a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at what we can expect from Season 2. Most notably, the video includes some voiceover from Captain Pike in "The Cage," Star Trek's original pilot, which is just pretty cool...

Video of Star Trek: Discovery Goes Back Into Production For Season 2

Star Trek: Disovery Season 2 Story

Showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts explained to the crowd at SDCC that Star Trek: Discovery season 2 will edge away from “the backdrop of war” and into a “more exploratory phase and a more diplomatic phase,” steadily becoming “a bit more of a Trekian chapter.”

After fielding several questions from the audience about the continuity of the show, Harberts went on to confirm that Discovery is indeed in the Prime Timeline, and that season 2 will reveal a bit more about how that stitches up to our current knowledge of Trek history:

The idea was to always be in the Prime Timeline. Obviously, there are questions and concerns and things that are different. Our technology is a little different. We have a ship that runs very differently. We are our own show in a lot of ways. Season two is really exciting for us. This is our opportunity to really show how Discovery fits into this Prime Timeline. We are firmly committed to that.

The Umbrella Academy features a handful of very colorful villains. Here is how they differ from their comic counterparts.

The following contains spoilers for The Umbrella Academy Season 1 on Netflix and The Umbrella Academy comic series.

The Umbrella Academy was always going to lose some stuff in translation from comic book to Netflix's servers. Luther's giant blue Martian gorilla body probably wasn't going to make it. But one thing that seemed for sure is the villain or villains of the piece would remain the same.

That ultimately wasn't the case as The Umbrella Academy did some re-imaginings and some moving around of the comic’s villains to better suit the TV show's needs. In the process, one villain remained almost exactly the same, one villain changed completely, and two other villains were bumped up from their scheduled appearance in what would have been The Umbrella Academy Season 2.

So here is a breakdown of The Umbrella Academy's villains and how both the show and comic depict them.

Harold Jenkins/Leonard

We are first introduced to Leonard in the show's first episode. He comes to receive a violin lesson from Vanya and it's immediately clear that he will be a significant character, as evidenced by the fact that he's played by one of Netflix's favorite supporting actors: John Magaro (Orange is the New Black).

It quickly becomes apparent that not only is Leonard a significant character...he's a bad guy. Leonard is actually an alias assumed by Harold Jenkins. As a child, Harold Jenkins lived a miserable, ordinary life with only an abusive father to raise him. Harold retreated inward and became obsessed with the exploits of the super-kid crime-fighting team The Umbrella Academy. And why wouldn't he? Not only are they super cool as real life superheroes but also they share a birthday: October 1, 1989. Of course, the circumstances of the Umbrella kids’ births were supernatural, while Harold's was not.

Harold eventually killed his father and went to prison. When he was released, he decided to continue his obsession with The Umbrella Academy by using the dead Reginald Hargreeves' notes to unlock Vanya's full powerful potential. He embeds himself in her life as a friend and slowly makes her realize that maybe she's special after all.

In the show, Harold Jenkins is a very human character. It's his human qualities that drive him to villainy - his pain, obsessions, vanity, and jealousy. He's not entirely unlike Syndrome from The Incredibles.

Harold's counterpart in the comic books is quite the opposite. The villain who motivates Vanya to fully embrace her potential in the comic series is simply called "The Conductor." He's a very creepy, barely human-appearing creature who leads an orchestra called The Orchestra Verdammten. The Orchestra Verdammnten is made up of some of the city's finest killers and musicians. Their purpose is singular: to destroy the world...for funsies (destroying the world for funsies is a bit of a theme in The Umbrella Academy as you'll come to find out).

They initially recruit Vanya in the comic's first issue but she is unmoved by their request. Later, after Vanya's family mistreats her further, she returns to the Orchestra and consents to undergoing a procedure that will unlock her pull potential. When she emerges, she is...The White Violin.

The White Violin

Vanya Hargreeves a.k.a. The White Violin is the most closely adapted "villain" from the books. We say "villain" because while destroying the world is a very villainous thing to do, Vanya is really more of a hurt child, lashing out. Vanya's emotional journey in the show ties closely into her emotional joruney in the comics.

It's the alienation that she feels from her family that drives her to fully embrace her powers. The source and nature of those powers are kind of unclear but it would seem that she's capable of channeling great energy and destruction through the sound waves generated from her violin. In both the comic and the show she adorns herself in white, albeit in slightly different ways.

Also her first act as the newly empowered supervillain is to destroy the person who helped her reach supervillain status. Harold Jenkins very much goes the way of The Conductor.

"That felt like, 'Yeah man, I'm gonna go for a ride, and I think I'm gonna tap into my fuckin' rage,'" Ellen Page told us. "I thought that was interesting to explore. I don't think I've played a character that rageful since Hard Candy or something."

In future issues of the comic, Vanya has yet to return to her life of villainy - in fact she's struggling to return to her life at all. She maintains her terrifying White Violin-appearance but mostly remains in a hospital bed or a wheelchair, recovering from the gunshot wound she sustatined during the melee at the Icarus Theater.

Hazel and Cha-Cha

Hazel and Cha-Cha inject a great deal of life and color into The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Not only do the time-traveling assassins occasionally wear brightly-colored cartoon helmets but they’re also played by the weirdly perfect acting duo of Cameron Britton (Mindhunter) and Mary J. Blige (um...Mary J. Blige).

On the show, Hazel and Cha-Cha have the same occupation that they do in the comics, but the way they go about it is quite different. For starters, the show is exploring the concept of time-traveling assassins being somewhat bored by their jobs. It's kind of a fun commentary on TV's arms race of weirdness. Hazel (Britton) seems to be done with this life of crime and just wants to settle down with diner waitress Agnes. But the organization that Hazel and Cha-Cha work for, the Temps Agency, won't let it happen. Nor will their boss, known only as "The Handler" (Kate Walsh).

Hazel and Cha-Cha aren't introduced in the comics until the series second volume, "Dallas." The show bumped them up into the first season since it clearly wanted to play around with time, and if you're going to do that, you might as well have some time assassins.

In the comics, Hazel and Cha-Cha would never get sick of their job. They are the most enthusiastic time-traveling assassins you'll ever meet. They are addicted to two things and two things only: unspeakable violence and Girl Scout cookies.

Hazel and Cha-Cha can't be reasoned with. They are creatures of pure id that never take off those colorful helmets.

The organization they work for has the same goal of the organization in the show. It's called "Temps Aeternalis," and it hires a variety of assassins (including Number Five) to carry out a series of targeted executions to make sure the time stream runs the way it's supposed to. The majority of "Dallas" concerns the agency hiring Number Five to carry out their biggest assassination yet: John F. Kennedy.

One key difference between the two depictions of the Temps, however, is their leader. Netflix must have been pleased as punch when they got Kate Walsh to play the leader of a guild of time assassins. For one, Kate Walsh is a talented actress. But just as importantly, they also no longer had to figure out how to animate a fish named Carmichael in a robot body.

Ultimately Hazel and Cha-Cha do rebel from the Temps Aeternalis though it's not because they're sick of their job or one of them falls in love with a diner waitress. It's because their bloodlust can no longer be satisfied by simple executions. They want to destroy the entirety of Earth using Reginald Hargreeves' nukes.

Why? Because funsies that's why.

Understanding The Umbrella Academy villains and the changes made to them for the show can help one better understand the relationship between the books and the show. The Umbrella Academy comics have a much bigger sense of anarchic fun and creative chaos. The show probably wisely understands that it needs to nail the emotional angles more to reward viewers' 10-hour investment.

Both approaches work with the help of some carefully crafted villains. Now read more about what might be in store for the Umbrella kids and their antagonists in The Umbrella Academy Season 2.

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

Facebook has also ceased to recruit new users for the Facebook Research app that still runs on Android but was forced off of iOS by Apple after we reported on how it violated Apple’s Enterprise Certificate program for employee-only apps. Existing Facebook Research app studies will continue to run, though.

Onavo billed itself as a way to “limit apps from using background data and “use a secure VPN network for your personal info” but also noted it would collect the “Time you spend using apps, mobile and Wi-Fi data you use per app, the websites you visit, and your country, device and network type” A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the change and provided this statement “Market research helps companies build better products for people. We are shifting our focus to reward-based market research which means we’re going to end the Onavo program.”

With the suspicions about big tech giants and looming regulation leading to more intense scrutiny of privacy practices, Facebook has decided that giving users a utility like a VPN in exchange for quietly examining their usage of other apps and mobile browsing data isn’t a wise strategy. Instead, it will focus on paid programs where users explicitly understand what privacy they’re giving up for direct financial compensation.

Facebok acquired Onavo in 2013 for a reported $200 million to use its VPN app the gather data about what people were doing on their phones. That data revealed WhatsApp was sending far more messages per day than Messenger, convincing Facebook to pay a steep sum of $19 billion to buy WhatsApp. Facebook went on to frame Onavo as a way for users to reduce their data usage, block dangerous websites, keep their traffic safe from snooping — while Facebook itself was analyzing that traffic. The insights helped it discover new trends in mobile usage, keep an eye on competitors, and figure out what features or apps to copy. Cloning became core to Facebook’s product strategy over the past years, with Instagram’s versions of Snapchat Stories growing larger than the original.

But last year, privacy concerns led Apple to push Facebook to remove the Onavo VPN app from the App Store, though it continued running on Google Play. But Facebook quietly repurposed Onavo code for use in its Facebook Research app that TechCrunch found was paying users in the U.S. and India ages 13 to 35 up to $20 in gift cards per month to give it VPN and root network access to spy on all their mobile data.

Facebook ran the program in secret, obscured by intermediary beta testing services like Betabound and Applause. It only informed users it recruited with ads on Instagram, Snapchat and elsewhere that they were joining a Facebook Research program after they’d begun signup and signed non-disclosure agreements. A Facebook claimed in a statement that “there was nothing ‘secret’ about this”, but it had threatened legal action if users publicly discussed the Research program.

In an attempt to preempt any more scandals around Onavo and the Facebook Research app or Google stepping in to block the apps, Facebook is now taking Onavo off the Play Store and stopping recruitment of Research testers.

Giada De Laurentiis had a nip slip when her boobs fell out of her one-piece blue bathing suit in Miami and RadarOnline.com has a gallery of her wardrobe malfunction. The sexy chef couldn’t catch her breasts before they burst out of her bathing suit. Click through the gallery to see Giada’s major wardrobe malfunction.

Deadly Class has stormed in with its punk 80's high school for assassins vibe, and we've got the latest trailer, links to reviews, and more.

Rick Remender and Wes Craig's graphic novel, Deadly Class, has received the adaptation treatment courtesy of the Russo Brothers and is now airing on Syfy with its own take on the story.

Deadly Class the series is set in a dark, heightened world against the backdrop of late ‘80s counterculture, following the story of Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth). Syfy's official synopsis describes him as "a teen living on the streets who is recruited into Kings Dominion, an elite private academy where the world’s top crime families send their next generations. Maintaining his moral code while surviving a ruthless curriculum, vicious social cliques and his own adolescent uncertainties soon proves to be vital."

Deadly Class Episode 7: "Rise Above"

Marcus confesses the truth about Chester to Saya which leads them on a citywide manhunt. (air date: February 27, 2019)

Deadly Class Cast

Syfy revealed the full Deadly Class cast list back in September, after its initial order for the pilot. They consist of the following:

Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) is Master Lin, the headmaster of the School for the Deadly Arts. "Deadly and feared. He's an ever-changing chameleon who keeps his students desperate for his approval."

Benjamin Wadsworth (Teen Wolf) is Marcus. "At one point we were all Marcus, an awkward outcast full of social anxiety struggling to find his place in the cold and brutal world of high school. Marcus is bottled rage, if his life had been normal this kid might have been an artist, even a poet. Instead he’s had to survive life on the streets of San Francisco. His eyes show it. He’s morally centered in an unethical world."

Lana Condor (X-Men: Apocalypse) is Saya, "mysterious and guarded with a deadly reputation. Saya was banished from one of the top Yakuza clans in Japan, sent to the School for the Deadly Arts to redeem herself. Driven to be the valedictorian, nothing will stand in her way."

Maria Gabriela de Faria (Yo Soy Franky) is Maria. "One minute Maria’s an extrovert and an exhibitionist, a tornado of ever changing emotions—fierce, charming, beautiful and oozing femininity -- the next she’s murderous, feral, and crippled by rage. At the School for the Deadly Arts her instability is treated like a super power."

Luke Tennie is Willie, "a hardened gangster, but underneath is an honest and thoughtful person who would rather be reading comic books and listening to music than engaging in blood work. Forced by his mother, leader of an LA gang, into the School for the Deadly Arts, he is under endless pressure to become the thing he hates most."

Liam James (The Family) is Billy, "skater punk, son of a corrupt cop and now a misfit at the school. He's off kilter and high energy. Billy combats every situation with sarcasm and humor. Always a glimmer of mischief in his eye."

Michel Duval (Señora Acero) is Chico, "scary, muscular, son of a cartel drug lord. Everyone knows not to mess with Chico. The only one who can hurt him is his girlfriend."

Guest stars will include Henry Rollins as Jürgen Denke, Taylor Hickson as Petra, Siobhan Williams as Brandy, Sean Depner as Viktor, Jack Gillett as Lex, and Ryan Robbins as Rory.

The pilot adaptation will be written by Remender and Miles Feldstott. Adam Targum, lately of Banshee and Outcast from Cinemax, will shworun, while Lee Toland Krieger, who directed a number of episodes of Riverdale, will direct the pilot.

The show has strong source material to draw from, both narratively and aesthetically. Craig's art looks like a cross between David Mazzuchelli on Batman: Year Oneand Frank Miller on Daredevil. Colorist Lee Loughridge gives every scene a distinctive look and mood, and Remender is a master at cutting his schmaltz with cynicism and his cynicism with genuine, heartfelt emotion. If the pilot is half as good as the first trade of Deadly Class, the show should be very good indeed.

Deadly Class Key Art

Syfy has released the following key art for Deadly Class (see below). Pretty snazzy...

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.

Jussie Smollett is begging his "Empire" family to believe he's innocent and continue supporting him -- even as the drama of his arrest postponed a scene Thursday in Chicago. Sources on the "Empire" set tell us the cast and crew were waiting at least…

The Magicians season 4 is back with lots of mayhem to sort out, and we've got the latest trailer, links to reviews, and more news.

The Magicians season 4 has returned! In the season three finale of The Magicians, magic was finally restored by unlocking the fountain at the other end of the Wellspring, but the Library, Irene McAllistair and Dean Fogg swooped in to reroute magic to themselves. In exchange, Dean Fogg negotiated the lives of his students, erasing their memories and giving each – except Alice who is now imprisoned by the Library – a new, magic-free identity.

Even with their new identities, however the core group is far from safe since inside Castle Blackspire, an ancient, powerful and unkillable Monster escaped confinement and jumped bodies to a new host, Eliot. The season ended with The Monster finding a mind-wiped Quentin, and The Magicians season 4 will pick up with The Monster seeking out the others, and something else...

The Magicians Season 4 Reviews & Episode Guide

As usual, we'll be following along with The Magicians season 4 episode by episode. Check below for episode titles and air dates, and follow the links provided to read the reviews for each installment as the season progresses.

The Magicians Season 4 Episode 1: "A Flock of Lost Birds"

Brian takes a friend out for ice cream. Sam is one week away from retirement. (air date: January 23, 2019)

All of the regular cast members are returning for The Magicians season 4, but one return that arose from her character's arrival from Timeline 23 is Kacey Rohl as hedge witch, Marina. Marina and her apartment figure prominently in this behind the scenes peek from Syfy entitled "Making Magic - The Penthouse."

Calling all lunatics — the first fully private moon landing mission is about to take off from Cape Canaveral. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying SpaceIL’s Beresheet lander is set to take off about an hour from now, at 5:45 Pacific time. Watch it right here!

The launch isn’t just the lander — in fact, the lander is only a small part of the payload. The primary passenger is Nusantara Satu, an Indian communications satellite that will provide connectivity to rural areas in the country difficult to reach by ordinary means. Once it gets to its geosynchronous orbit it will deploy the U.S. Air Force Research Lab’s S5 experimental satellite, which will track objects and debris around that altitude.

But by the time those deploy (about 44 minutes after launch), Beresheet will be well on its way; it’s entering a transfer orbit with an eye to lunar insertion and touchdown on the surface there in April.

Should it accomplish its task, the Israeli satellite will be the first private mission to land on the moon. So far it’s just been us, Russia and China — others have passed by or orbited, to be sure, but no one has made a soft landing and taken pictures, as Beresheet intends to do.

It was originally planned to do this for Google’s ill-fated Lunar Xprize, which went unclaimed despite serious interest — the truth is it was just a bit too ambitious for its own good. But several of the companies and teams that entered are still going strong, moving forward at their own paces.

At around $100 million, Beresheet will be the cheapest moon landing mission by far, and as the first to do so on a privately engineered and built (not to mention previously flown) rocket, as a secondary payload and with a private launch coordinator… let’s just say that it’s likely to set records all over the place if all goes well.

The first thing that needs to happen, of course, is takeoff. So tune in below at 5:45:

According to the documents obtained by Radar, the Girls Next Door star and her ex will share joint physical custody of their two children, Hank Jr., 8, and Alijah, 4.

Both will be able to keep their own individual properties, including jewerly, clothes, etc. the docs said. Baskett was ordered to hand over the deed to the Calabasas house and if it is sold they will split any proceeds from the sale.

Wilkinson recently said that she was a “f**king virgin,” and wasn’t dating anyone after she was spotted holding hands with The Bachelor bad boy Chad Johnson.

Wilkinson and Baksett were married for nine years, but Radar exclusively reported that he cheated on her with transgender model Ava London while she was pregnant. In 2014

After filing for divorce, Hugh Hefner’s ex exhibited irrational behavior. In a bizarre video on Instagram, the former Playboy model wept as she claimed she “did everything” she could to keep her marriage afloat.

Later, Wilkinson began moving out of the family home she shared with Hank, and their two kids.

CBS All Access is developing a new Twilight Zone reboot series! Watch the first trailer right here...

Get Outdirector Jordan Peele is preparing to enter a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity, with a reboot series of The Twilight Zone, set to stream on CBS All Access. The first season will consist of 10 episodes.

In a press release announcing the project back in December 2017, Peele stated, “Too many times this year it’s felt we were living in a twilight zone, and I can’t think of a better moment to reintroduce it to modern audiences." Indeed, Peele seems like the perfect match for The Twilight Zone. His excellent horror film, Get Out, tackled racism and cultural appropriation head on. The director will undoubtedly take the same approach with this reboot.

The original series ran from 1959 to 1964 and told spooky stories about dystopia, alien invaders, adventures in space, killer dolls, nuclear holocausts, ruthless science experiments, the perils of racism, and much more. With these fantastic tales, creator Rod Serling commented on Cold War society and the horrors of World War II.

This isn't the first time the show has been revived either. The Twilight Zone returned in 1983 as an anthology film directed by Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Joe Dante, and George Miller. A new series was greenlit in 1984 and ran from 1985 to 1989. It featured quite a few episodes by George R. R. Martin, as well as adaptations of stories by Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Arthur C. Clarke. Wes Craven and William Friedkin also directed episodes of the series. The second revival came in 2002. This series aired on UPN and was hosted by Forest Whitaker. It lasted only one season.

The Twilight Zone Reboot Trailer

The first full-length Twilight Zone trailer is here!

Video of The Twilight Zone - Official Trailer | CBS All Access

Next up is the Super Bowl TV spot, which uses the empty stadium of the Big Game to show us host Jordan Peele as a man both nowhere and everywhere at the same time and a lot of other teased paradoxes.

Video of The Twilight Zone - Super Bowl Promo | Extended Cut

CBS All Access confirmed Peele for the gig back in September 2018 with a teaser trailer that mixes the classic narration of the show opening by Rod Serling with audio of him delivering the iconic words.

Video of CBS All Access&#039; The Twilight Zone - Official Host Announcement

The Twilight Zone Reboot Release Date

The Twilight Zone now has a release date and it's an appropriate one, given Jordan Peele's involvement. Get ready to enter into the madness on Monday, April 1 on CBS All Access. CBS All Access Vice President or Original Content Julie McNamara made the announcement at the TCA winter press tour.

Two episodes will premiere on April 1 and then new episodes will be posted to CBS All Access every Thursday, starting on April 11.

The Twilight Zone Reboot Cast

The Twilight Zone reboot has announced quite a few key castings:

Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) and Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets) will star in an episode titled "The Traveler." The story will follow two cops and Yeun’s character, the mysterious titular traveler.

John Cho (Star Trek) and Allison Tolman (Castle Rock) will star in an episode titled "The Wunderkind." Also to appear in the episode are Jacob Tremblay (Room) and his sister, Erica.

Sanaa Lathan (The Affair) has been cast in an episode titled "Rewind."

Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) will star in the episode, "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet." This, of course, is a remake of the original series classic episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," in which a pre-Star Trek William Shatner played a disgruntled plane passenger who's the only one to see a furry gremlin saboteur on the wing. You can read more about the news in this article.

Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) will star in an episode. There is no word yet on what episode Nanjiani will appear in or what character he will be playing.

Ginnifer Goodwin, star of ABC's Once Upon a Time and HBO's Big Love, will be leading her own episode, titled "Point of Origin," which has already cast James Frain and Zabryna Guevara. No details about the plot of the episode or Goodwin's character, but we imagine things are going to get... weird.

With Sony's Silver and Black movie stalled, director Gina Prince-Bythewood is set to tackle an adaptation of Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez's comic, The Old Guard, and now the movie has found its leads.

WaitWhat, the digital content production engine behind LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman’s Masters of Scale podcast, has secured a $4.3 million Series A investment led by Cue Ball Capital and Burda Principal Investments.

Launched in January 2017, WaitWhat will use the cash to create additional media properties across a variety of mediums, including podcasts.

Investors are gravitating toward podcast startups as consumer interest in original audio content skyrockets. Podcasting, though an infantile industry that hit just $314 million in revenue in 2017, is maturing, raking in venture capital rounds large and small and recording its first notable M&A transaction with Spotify’s acquisition of Gimlet and Anchor earlier this month. The music streaming giant shelled out a total of $340 million for the podcast production platform and the provider of a suite of podcast creation, distribution and monetization tools, respectively. It plans to spend an additional $500 million on audio storytelling platforms as part of a larger plan to become the Netflix of audio.

WaitWhat, for its part, dubs itself the “media invention company.” Founded by June Cohen and Deron Triff, a pair of former TED executives responsible for expanding the nonprofit’s digital media business, WaitWhat is today launching Should This Exist, a new podcast hosted by Flickr founder and tech investor Caterina Fake. Fake will interview entrepreneurs about the human side and the impact of technology in the show created in partnership with Quartz.

“People don’t just transact with content; they want to feel connected to it through a sense of wonder, awe, curiosity, and mastery,” Cohen said in a statement. “These are contagious emotions, and research shows they stimulate sharing. Where many media companies aim for volume — putting out lots of content with a short shelf life — we’re building a completely distinctive portfolio of premium properties that are continually increasing in value, inspiring deep audience engagement, and creating opportunities for format expansion.”

Other investors in the round include Reid Hoffman, MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito and Liminal Ventures. WaitWhat previously raised a $1.5 million round from Victress Capital, Human Ventures and Able Partners, all of which have joined the A round.

Kylie Jenner tried to hide her face as she ventured out in public for the first time since kicking her best friend Jordyn Woods out after she was busted hooking up with her sister’s baby daddy. The “devastated” 21-year-old had a new gal pal by her side when she was caught in Beverly Hills after booting her “only friend” out of her mega-mansion. Click through the gallery to see Kylie without her bestie following her shocking hook up withKhloe Kardashian’s baby daddy Tristan Thompson.

2:10 PM PT -- Jussie told police, during his arrest, he has a drug problem ... one for which he's never been treated. That could become relevant later in the case because, as we reported, cops say Jussie bought ecstasy from Abel. IF he were…

Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams will star in and produce an FX limited series Fosse/Verdon with Lin-Manuel Miranda producing.

FX isn't willing to let its strangehold of the Best Limited Series category at the Golden Globes and Emmys go any time soon. The network has announced a star-studded limited series called Fosse/Verdon that will tell the real life story of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams will star as the titular duo.

“We are over the moon about this dream team we’ve assembled for this incredible series,” FX Co-President of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions Nick Grad said in a statement. “Tommy, Steven, and Lin are the perfect team to tell the story of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, and we’re so thrilled to have Sam and Michelle playing these iconic roles.”

Bob Fosse was a titanic Hollywood figure. He remains the only person to win an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy award in the same year. He directed and choreographed shows such as Damn Yankees, Cabaret, and Pippin. He also created the famous on-stage dancing technique known as "Fosse Amoeba," which incorporated a sideways shuffle, turned-in knees, and the immortal jazz hands. Gwen Verdon was a legendary actress and dancer who won four Tony Awards. The two were frequent collaborators and eventually husband and wife.

Fosse and Verdon's relationship was certainly what we could call problematic, featuring numerous extramarital affairs and a separation though the two never divorced.

"My mother and father have one of the greatest love stories ever known," Nicole Fosse said. They were extremely complex people with an indestructible bond, loyalty, and trust that endured both fantasy and reality. Finally, we have a creative team with the talent and wisdom to tell the story."

Fosse/Verdon Release Date

Fosse/Verdon will debut on Tuesday, April 9 at 10 p.m., FX has announced. The premiere will be written by Steven Levenson and directed by Thomas Kail. The series will feature eight episodes.

Fosse/Verdon Teaser

FX debuted a teaser for Fosse/Verdon during the 2019 Golden Globes. Surprise, surprise! It looks great.

Video of Fosse/Verdon | Season 1: Again Teaser | FX

Fosse/Verdon Cast

For a series about larger-than-life personalities, FX went ahead and cast some larger-than-life personalities to populate it.

Thomas Kail (original director of Hamilton), Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (yes that Lin-Manuel Miranda...as if there's any other) will produce alongside Rockwell and Williams. Fosse and Verndon's only child, Nicole Fosse, will serve as executive producer. The series will be an in-house production for FX, coming form Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.